Infliximab is associated with attenuated immunogenicity to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with IBD

Abstract

Objective: Delayed second dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccination trades maximal effectiveness for a lower level of immunity across more of the population. We investigated whether patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with infliximab have attenuated serological responses to a single dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Design: Antibody responses and seroconversion rates in infliximab-treated patients (n=865) were compared with a cohort treated with vedolizumab (n=428), a gut-selective anti-integrin α4β7 monoclonal antibody. Our primary outcome was anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) antibody concentrations, measured using the Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) antibody assay 3-10 weeks after vaccination, in patients without evidence of prior infection. Secondary outcomes were seroconversion rates (defined by a cut-off of 15 U/mL), and antibody responses following past infection or a second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine.

Results: Geometric mean (SD) anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations were lower in patients treated with infliximab than vedolizumab, following BNT162b2 (6.0 U/mL (5.9) vs 28.8 U/mL (5.4) p<0.0001) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (4.7 U/mL (4.9)) vs 13.8 U/mL (5.9) p<0.0001) vaccines. In our multivariable models, antibody concentrations were lower in infliximab-treated compared with vedolizumab-treated patients who received the BNT162b2 (fold change (FC) 0.29 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.40), p<0.0001) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (FC 0.39 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.51), p<0.0001) vaccines. In both models, age ≥60 years, immunomodulator use, Crohn's disease and smoking were associated with lower, while non-white ethnicity was associated with higher, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations. Seroconversion rates after a single dose of either vaccine were higher in patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and after two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine.

Conclusion: Infliximab is associated with attenuated immunogenicity to a single dose of the BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Vaccination after SARS-CoV-2 infection, or a second dose of vaccine, led to seroconversion in most patients. Delayed second dosing should be avoided in patients treated with infliximab.

Trial registration number: ISRCTN45176516.

Keywords: BNT162b2; CLARITY; COVID-19; ChAdOx1 nCoV-19; TNF; autoimmune disease; inflammatory bowel disease; inflammatory diseases; infliximab; vaccine; vedolizumab.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: NAK reports grants from F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, grants from Biogen Inc, grants from Celltrion Healthcare, grants from Galapagos NV, non-financial support from Immundiagnostik, during the conduct of the study; grants and non-financial support from AbbVie, grants and personal fees from Celltrion, personal fees and non-financial support from Janssen, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees and non-financial support from Dr Falk, outside the submitted work. SL reports non-financial support from Pfizer, non-financial support from Ferring, outside the submitted work. JRG reports grants from F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, grants from Biogen, grants from Celltrion Healthcare, grants from Galapagos NV, non-financial support from Immundiagnostik, during the conduct of the study. DC reports non-financial support from Ferring, personal fees and non-financial support from Pfizer, outside the submitted work. JRFC reports grants and personal fees from Samsung, Pfizer & Biogen; personal fees and non-financial support from Janssen & Abbvie; grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Takeda; personal fees from MSD, Sandoz, Celltrion & NAPP, outside the submitted work. AF reports personal fees from Takeda UK Ltd, personal fees from Dr Falk Pharma, personal fees from Tillotts, personal fees from Abbvie Ltd, personal fees from Sheild, personal fees from Ferring, from Pharmacosmos, personal fees from Allergan, personal fees from Janssen, outside the submitted work. PMI reports grants and personal fees from Takeda, grants from MSD, grants and personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Galapagos, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from Abbvie, personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Topivert, personal fees from VH2, personal fees from Celgene, personal fees from Arena, personal fees from Samsung Bioepis, personal fees from Sandoz, personal fees from Procise, personal fees from Prometheus, outside the submitted work. NK reports personal fees from Janssen, outside the submitted work. KBK reports personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from PredictImmune, personal fees from Amgen, outside the submitted work. CAL reports grants from Genentech, grants and personal fees from Janssen, grants and personal fees from Takeda, grants from AbbVie, personal fees from Ferring, grants from Eli Lilly, grants from Pfizer, grants from Roche, grants from UCB Biopharma, grants from Sanofi Aventis, grants from Biogen IDEC, grants from Orion OYJ, personal fees from Dr Falk Pharma, grants from AstraZeneca, outside the submitted work. JM reports grants and personal fees from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, grants and personal fees from Biogen, personal fees and non-financial support from AbbVie, personal fees from Grifols, personal fees from Sandoz, personal fees from Celltrion, personal fees and non-financial support from Janssen, personal fees from Vifor Pharmaceuticals, personal fees from Predictimmune, personal fees from Bristol Myers Squibb, non-financial support from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, outside the submitted work. RCGP reports acting as consultant, advisory board member, speaker or recipient of educational grant from Dr Falk, Ferring, Janssen, Pharmacosmos and Takeda. TR reports grants and personal fees from Abbvie, personal fees from BMS, personal fees from Celgene, personal fees from Ferring, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from LabGenius, personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Mylan, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Sandoz, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Galapagos, personal fees from Arena, outside the submitted work. PJS reports speaker fees and advisory board sponsorship from Janssen, Celltrion and Takeda outside the submitted work. AMV reports personal fees and non-financial support from Takeda, personal fees and non-financial support from Celltrion, personal fees and non-financial support from Merck Sharp & Dohme, outside the submitted work. SJ is an employee of Roche Diagnostics and holds Roche shares. SS reports grants from Takeda, Abbvie, AMGEN, Tillots Pharma, personal fees from Jaansen, Takeda, Galapagos, Celltrion, Falk Pharma, Tillots pharma, Cellgene, Pfizer, Pharmacocosmos, outside the submitted work. CWL reports personal fees from Abbvie, personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Takeda, grants from Gilead, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from Galapagos, personal fees from Iterative Scopes, personal fees from Trellus Health, personal fees from Celltion, personal fees from Ferring, personal fees from BMS, during the conduct of the study. NP reports personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, personal fees from Abbvie, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Lilly, personal fees from Allergan, personal fees from Celgene, outside the submitted work; and NP has served as a speaker/advisory board member for Abbvie, Allergan, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Falk, Ferring, Janssen, Pfizer, Tillotts, Takeda and Vifor Pharma. TA reports grants and non-financial support from F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, grants from Biogen Inc, grants from Celltrion Healthcare, grants from Galapagos NV, non-financial support from Immundiagnostik, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Biogen, grants and personal fees from Celltrion Healthcare, personal fees and non-financial support from Immundiagnostik, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from ARENA, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from Adcock Ingram Healthcare, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Genentech, non-financial support from Tillotts, outside the submitted work.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody concentration stratified by biological therapy (infliximab vs vedolizumab) and type of vaccine. The wider bar represents the geometric mean, while the narrower bars are drawn one geometric SD either side of the geometric mean. The threshold shown of 15 U/mL was used to determine seroconversion.

Figure 2

Exponentiated coefficients of linear regression models of log(anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody concentration). The resultant values represent the fold change of antibody concentration associated with each variable. Each vaccine was modelled separately, and then a further model was created using all of the available data. IBDU, inflammatory bowel disease unclassified; UC, ulcerative colitis.

Figure 3

Rolling geometric mean antibody concentration over time, stratified by biological therapy (infliximab vs vedolizumab) and vaccine. Geometric means are calculated using a rolling 15-day window (ie, 7 days either side of the day indicated). The shaded areas represent the 95% CIs of the geometric means. Overall, data from 2126 participants (1427 on infliximab and 699 on vedolizumab) between 1 and 63 days post vaccination are included in this graph .

Figure 4

Percentages of participants with seroconversion defined by an anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody concentration ≥15 U/mL, stratified by vaccine, biological and immunomodulator use. Error bars represent the 95% CI of the percentages. IMM, immunomodulator.

Figure 5

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody concentration, stratified by biological therapy (infliximab vs vedolizumab), prior infection and number of doses and type of vaccine. The wider bar represents the geometric mean, while the narrower bars are drawn one geometric SD either side of the geometric mean. The threshold shown of 15 U/mL is the one used to determine seroconversion.