Disease Activity after SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Infection in Patients with Immune-Mediated Neuromuscular Diseases

ABSTRACT

Importance Viral infection or vaccination has the potential to increase disease activity in immune-mediated neuromuscular diseases. Objective: We aimed to evaluate whether SARSCoV- 2 vaccination and infection leads to increase of disease activity in patients with immune-mediated neuromuscular diseases. Methods: This is an interim analysis of a subset of patients from an ongoing prospective multi-center cohort study on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with various immune mediated inflammatory diseases in the Netherlands, the Target to-B!-COVID study (T2B!). Patients received digital questionnaires every two months from study entry to assess disease activity compared to previous visit using a 5-point Likert scale. In addition, in case of SARS CoV-2 infection (prior to vaccination) patients received an extra questionnaire to assess disease activity in the four weeks after infection. In cases of self-reported increase of disease activity, medical files were used to assess whether disease activity was reported by the treating physician, and whether changes were made in type or dose of immunosuppressive or immunomodulating treatment. Results: In total, we included 303 patients with immune-mediated neuromuscular disease of which 127 patients with inflammatory neuropathies, 133 patients with myasthenia gravis, and 43 patients with myositis. In the four months after completed vaccination, 67 (22.1%) patients indicated an increase in disease activity, of which 62 (93%) was reported as worse and 5 (7%) as much worse. In 10 (3.3%) of the cases with self-reported increase, disease activity was also reported by the treating physician in the medical chart. In 4 (1.3%) of patients with self-reported increase disease activity treatment was adjusted because of the increase in disease activity. A SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to vaccination occurred in 24 (8%) patients, from which 3 (12.5%) indicated an increase in disease activity, not leading to change in treatment. Conclusion: Increase of disease activity after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or infection was reported infrequently, and was self-limiting in most cases. Findings from our cohort may help physicians in neuromuscular disease to adequately inform patients on the risk of increased disease activity due to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or infection. Full and verified results will be reported at the ICNMD 2022.