Immunological response after SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA vaccines in patients with myasthenia gravis treated with Rituximab.

ABSTRACT

In this study we employed a comprehensive immune profiling approach to determine innate and adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA vaccines in patients with myasthenia gravis receiving rituximab. By multicolour cytometry, dendritic and natural killer cells, B- and T-cell subsets, including T-cells producing IFN-γ stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 peptides, were analysed after infection and mRNA vaccination. In the same conditions, anti-spike antibodies and cytokines' levels were measured in sera. Despite the impaired B cell and humoral response, rituximab patients showed an intact innate, CD8 T-cell and IFN-γ specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell response after infection and vaccination, comparable to controls. No signs of cytokine mediated inflammatory cascade was observed. Our study provides evidence of protective immune response after SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA vaccines in patients with myasthenia gravis on B cell depleting therapy and highlights the need for prospective studies with larger cohorts to clarify the role of B cells in SARS-CoV-2 immune response.