ABSTRACT
Riassunto Le malattie neurologiche sono spesso causa di un grave handicap, ma lo sviluppo delle bioterapie ne ha rivoluzionato la prognosi. Questi trattamenti sono attualmente utilizzati principalmente nelle patologie neuroinfiammatorie e nell'emicrania, ma il loro sviluppo riguarda ormai tutti i campi della neurologia. Alcune di queste bioterapie sono già state utilizzate in altre specialità mediche (anti-tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], anti-C5, anti-interleuchina 6R [IL-6R], anti-CD20, immunoglobuline polivalenti, trapianto di cellule staminali) e richiedono un adattamento alla pratica neurologica. Altre, come gli anti-very late antigen-4 (VLA4) e gli anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), sono più specifiche per la neurologia e richiedono una formazione per il loro utilizzo. Comunque sia, la varietà dei meccanismi d'azione e delle modalità d'uso rende la loro gestione complessa, suscettibile di frenarne la prescrizione. Pertanto, questa recensione affronta per ogni bioterapia gli aspetti relativi alla loro modalità d'azione, alle loro indicazioni e alla loro tolleranza, ma guida anche il neurologo nella sua prescrizione menzionando la valutazione preterapeutica e di follow-up, nonché le raccomandazioni in vigore sull'uso di vaccini o sul desiderio di gravidanza.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Nowadays, mandatory vaccination in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is widely recommended. Regarding COVID19, the absence of specific warnings led to the proposal of vaccination in patients with inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. However global vaccination hesitancy remains and potential effect of COVID19 vaccination on disease activity needs to be assessed. Objective(s): We aimed to evaluate if COVID19 vaccination or infection increased the risk of clinical conversion to multiple sclerosis or evidence of disease activity (EDA) in a cohort of RIS subjects. Method(s): This multicentric observational study is based on the RISC cohort. Data regarding COVID19 infection and vaccination has been collected between January 2020 and December 2021. We compared the occurrence of clinical conversion to MS and EDA in patients according to their vaccination status. The same analysis was conducted by comparing patients according to their history of COVID19 infection. Result(s): 217 subjects with known vaccination status were included (Mean age: 44yrs, F/M sex ratio 2.7). 80% of subjects had a complete vaccination and 20% were incompletely or not vaccinated. Both groups did not differ regarding the main demographical data and known risk factors of conversion to MS. No difference was found concerning clinical conversion to MS in the vaccinated versus unvaccinated group (2.4% versus 2.5%, p = 0.9747). We did not observe any statistical difference regarding the rate of EDA in both groups. 20% of subjects had a history of COVID-19 infection. The rate of clinical conversion to MS in the infected compared to the noninfected group did not show any difference The global conversion rate to MS in the whole RISC cohort in 2021 was 2.64%, which is comparable with the observed rates during the four previous years (5.75%, 2.55%, 4.79%, and 4.85% per year respectively). Conclusion(s): Our study suggests that COVID19 vaccination does not increase the risk of clinical conversion to MS in RIS subjects and supports that immunization can be safely proposed for these patients.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the humoral response after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) according to disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) and in comparison with the humoral response after SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: We included 28 MS patients with serological results after COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna ARNm) and 61 MS patients with serological results after COVID-19 (COVID-19 group) among patients followed up at the MS Center of Strasbourg, France, between January and April 2021. The primary endpoint was the IgG index according to DMTs (anti-CD20 mAb, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor [S1PR] modulator and other treatments) and COVID-19 vaccine or COVID-19 groups. RESULTS: In the vaccinated MS patients, the median IgG index was lower in patients treated with anti-CD20 mAb and in patients treated with S1PR modulator compared to patients receiving other or no DMTs (4.80 [1.58-28.6], 16.5 [16.3-48.5], 1116 [434-1747] and 1272 [658-1886], respectively, P<0.001). Similar results were found for MS patients after COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MS and treated with S1PR modulators or anti-CD20 mAb had a reduced humoral response after COVID-19 vaccine.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Multiple Sclerosis , COVID-19 Vaccines , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , VaccinationABSTRACT
Background: Outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodyassociated disease (MOGAD), often treated with immunosuppressive therapies, are still unknown. Objectives: The objective was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with neuromyelitis optica and associated disorders and to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 severity. Methods: We conducted a multi-center, retrospective, observational cohort study among all French expert centers for neuromyelitis optica and related disorders. Patients with NMOSD or MOGAD included in the study received a confirmed or highly suspected diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and June 30th, 2020. Main outcome was COVID-19 severity score assessed on a 7-point ordinal scale ranging from 1 (not hospitalized with no limitations on activities) to 7 (death). Results: Fifteen cases (mean [SD] age: 39.3 [14.3] years, 11 female) were included. Five patients (33.3%) were hospitalized, all receiving rituximab. A 24-year-old patient with positive aquaporine-4 antibody, with obesity as comorbidity, needed mechanical ventilation. Outpatients were receiving anti-CD20 (5), mycophenolate mofetil (3) or azathioprine (3). They were younger (mean [SD] age: 37.0 [13.4] years), with a longer disease duration (mean [SD]: 8.3 [6.3] years) and had a lower EDSS score (median [range] EDSS: 2.5 [0-4]) relative to patients requiring hospitalization (mean [SD] age: 44.0 [16.4] years, mean [SD] disease duration: 5.8 [5.5] years, median [range] EDSS: 4 [0-6.5]). Conclusions: COVID-19 outcome was overall favorable in this cohort. Larger international studies are needed to identify risk factors of severe COVID-19, however we recommend to maintain preventive measures to limit the risk of contamination with SARS-CoV-2 in this immunocompromised population.
ABSTRACT
Background: Risk factors associated with the severity of COVID- 19 in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) begin to be identified from several cohort studies. Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) may modify the risk of developing a severe COVID-19 infection, beside identified risk factors such as age and comorbidities. Objectives: The objective was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 and to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 severity. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study (COVISEP registry, NCT04355611) included patients with MS presenting with a confirmed or highly suspected diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and July 14, 2020. The main outcome was COVID-19 severity assessed on a 7-point ordinal scale (ranging from 1: not hospitalized, no limitations on activities, to 7: death;cutoff at 3: hospitalized, not requiring supplemental oxygen). We collected demographics, neurological history, Expanded Disability Severity Score (EDSS), comorbidities, COVID-19 characteristics and outcome. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the influence of collected variables on COVID-19 outcome. Results: A total of 405 patients (mean age: 44.7 years, female/male: 293/112, mean disease duration: 13.4 years) were analyzed. Seventy-eight patients (19.3%) had a COVID-19 severity score ≥ 3, and 12 patients (3.0%) died from COVID-19. Median EDSS was 2.0 (range: 0-9.5), 326 patients (80.5%) were on DMT. There was a higher proportion of patients with COVID-19 severity score ≥ 3 among patients with no DMT relative to patients on DMTs (39.2% versus 14.4%, p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression models determined that age (OR for 10 years: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4-2.4), EDSS (OR for EDSS ≥ 6: 4.5, 95% CI: 2.0-10.0) were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity score ≥ 3 (hospitalization or higher severity) while immunomodulatory treatment (interferon or glatiramer acetate) was associated with lower risk of COVID-19 severity score ≥ 3 (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.05-0.8). EDSS was associated with the highest variability of COVID-19 severe outcome (R2= 0.18), followed by age (R2= 0.06) and immunomodulatory treatment (R2= 0.02). Conclusions: EDSS and age were independent risk factors of severe COVID-19, while exposure to immunomodulatory DMTs (interferon and glatiramer acetate) were independently associated with lower COVID-19 severity. We did not find an association between other DMTs exposure (including immunosuppressive therapies) and COVID-19 severity. The identification of these risk factors should provide the rationale for an individual strategy regarding clinical management of MS patients during the COVID- 19 pandemic.