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Vaccination

Omicron-Specific Cytotoxic T-Cell Responses After a Third Dose of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Among Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Treated With Ocrelizumab

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To identify the key insights or developments described in this article

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JAMA Neurology

Published Online: February 25, 2022

Brief Report

Article Information and Disclosures

Natacha Madelon, PhD¹;

Nelli Heikkilä, MD, PhD¹;

Irène Sabater Royo, MSc¹;

Paola Fontannaz¹;

Gautier Breville, MD²;

Kim Lauper, MD³;

Rachel Goldstein, MSc¹;

Alba Grifoni, PhD⁴;

Alessandro Sette, PhD^4,5;

Claire-Anne Siegrist, MD^1,6;

Axel Finckh, MD³;

Patrice H. Lalive, MD²;

Arnaud M. Didierlaurent, PhD¹;

Christiane S. Eberhardt, MD^1,6,7

Author Affiliations

¹Faculty of Medicine, Center for Vaccinology, Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
²Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, University Hospital of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
³Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
⁴Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
⁵Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
⁶Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Woman, Child and Adolescent Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Center for Vaccinology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
⁷Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia

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Key Points

Question Are T-cell responses to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant conserved in anti-CD20–treated patients with multiple sclerosis after COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccination?

Findings In this cohort study of 20 patients treated with ocrelizumab, Omicron spike-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells were detectable in approximately half of patients 6 months after the second vaccine dose, and cytotoxic T-cell responses increased following the third dose. Frequencies of T cells specific to the Delta and Omicron variants were lower compared with the vaccine strain, both before and after receiving a booster dose.

Meaning In this study of anti-CD20–treated patients with multiple sclerosis, the vaccine-induced T-cell responses were little affected by the mutations carried by Omicron and might prevent severe COVID-19 infection, and a third vaccine dose improved cytotoxic T-cell responses against Omicron.

Abstract

Importance The SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron) escapes neutralizing antibodies elicited after COVID-19 vaccination, while T-cell responses might be better conserved. It is crucial to assess how a third vaccination modifies these responses, particularly for immunocompromised patients with readily impaired antibody responses.

Objective To determine T-cell responses to the Omicron spike protein in anti-CD20–treated patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) before and after a third messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccination.

Design, Setting, and Participants In this prospective cohort study conducted from March 2021 to November 2021 at the University Hospital Geneva, adults with MS receiving anti-CD20 treatment (ocrelizumab) were identified by their treating neurologists and enrolled in the study. A total of 20 patients received their third dose of messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine and were included in this analysis.

Interventions Blood sampling before and 1 month after the third vaccine dose.

Main Outcomes and Measures Quantification of CD4 and CD8 (cytotoxic) T cells specific for the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins of the vaccine strain as well as the Delta and Omicron variants, comparing frequencies before and after the third vaccine dose.

Results Of 20 included patients, 11 (55%) were male, and the median (IQR) age was 45.8 (37.8-53.3) years. Spike-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell memory against all variants were maintained in 9 to 12 patients 6 months after their second vaccination, albeit at lower median frequencies against the Delta and Omicron variants compared with the vaccine strain (CD8 T cells: Delta, 83.0%; 95% CI, 73.6-114.5; Omicron, 78.9%; 95% CI, 59.4-100.0; CD4 T cells: Delta, 72.2%; 95% CI, 67.4-90.5; Omicron, 62.5%; 95% CI, 51.0-89.0). A third dose enhanced the number of responders to all variants (11 to 15 patients) and significantly increased CD8 T-cell responses, but the frequencies of Omicron-specific CD8 T cells remained 71.1% (95% CI, 41.6-96.2) of the responses specific to the vaccine strain.

Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of patients with MS treated with ocrelizumab, there were robust T-cell responses recognizing spike proteins from the Delta and Omicron variants, suggesting that COVID-19 vaccination in patients taking B-cell–depleting drugs may protect them against serious complications from COVID-19 infection. T-cell response rates increased after the third dose, demonstrating the importance of a booster dose for this population.

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Article Information

Accepted for Publication: January 28, 2022.

Published Online: February 25, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.0245

Corresponding Author: Christiane S. Eberhardt, MD (christiane.eberhardt@unige.ch), and Arnaud M. Didierlaurent, PhD (arnaud.didierlaurent@unige.ch), Centre Médical Universitaire, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.

Author Contributions: Drs Didierlaurent and Eberhardt had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Drs Madelon and Heikkilä contributed equally to the manuscript.

Study concept and design: Madelon, Heikkilä, Sette, Siegrist, Lalive, Didierlaurent, Eberhardt.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Madelon, Heikkilä, Sabater Royo, Fontannaz, Breville, Lauper, Goldstein, Grifoni, Siegrist, Finckh, Lalive, Didierlaurent, Eberhardt.

Drafting of the manuscript: Madelon, Heikkilä, Breville, Lauper, Goldstein, Finckh, Didierlaurent, Eberhardt.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Madelon, Heikkilä, Sabater Royo, Fontannaz, Lauper, Grifoni, Sette, Siegrist, Finckh, Lalive, Didierlaurent.

Statistical analysis: Madelon, Heikkilä, Breville, Eberhardt.

Obtained funding: Siegrist, Finckh, Didierlaurent, Eberhardt.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Sabater Royo, Fontannaz, Breville, Lauper, Goldstein, Grifoni, Sette, Siegrist, Lalive.

Study supervision: Madelon, Siegrist, Lalive, Didierlaurent, Eberhardt.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Lauper has received personal fees from Pfizer, Celltrion, and Viatris outside the submitted work. Dr Sette is a consultant for Gritstone Bio, Flow Pharma, Arcturus Therapeutics, ImmunoScape, CellCarta, Avalia, Moderna, Fortress, and Repertoire. Dr Didierlaurent has received personal fees from Speranza; personal fees from Roche paid to his institution; and is chairman for the World Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Emergency Use Listing of COVID-19 vaccines (no personal fees). The La Jolla Institute for Immunology has filed for patent protection for various aspects of T-cell epitope and vaccine design work. No other disclosures were reported.

Funding/Support: This work was supported by the HUG Private Foundation (Drs Eberhardt, Siegrist, and Didierlaurent) and by the Giorgi-Cavaglieri Foundation (Dr Didierlaurent). This work was additionally funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under contracts 75N93021C00016 and 75N9301900065 (Dr Sette).

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Additional Contributions: We thank Sandra Fernandes Oliveira, Olivia Studer, Sandrine Bastard, and colleagues at the Clinical Research Center, University Hospital of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, for their involvement in patient recruitment and sample collection; Chantal Tougne, Yves Donati, MSc, Wafae Adouan, and Sophie Coudurier for their contributions to processing the clinical samples and support in experimental work; and Myriam Ventura-Lehnis for her administrative support. None of these contributors were compensated for their work. We thank the team from the flow cytometry core facility for their technical support. We thank all colleagues who have provided support to participant recruitment, sample collection, and experimental work. We are grateful to all volunteers for their participation in the study.

References

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