B cell activating factor levels are linked to distinct B cell markers in multiple sclerosis and following B cell depletion and repopulation.

Recent studies have highlighted the important role of B cells in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). B cell activating factor (BAFF) and A proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) play a major role in B cell survival and homeostasis. Here, we studied the association of BAFF and APRIL with B cell immune markers in MS and following B cell depletion and repopulation. We found that BAFF but not APRIL was significantly higher in plasma in untreated MS compared to controls. BAFF increased after rituximab treatment and decreased again during repopulation displaying an inverse correlation with B cell numbers, and more specifically switched memory B cell numbers. Cerebrospinal fluid BAFF inversely correlated with IgG index. BAFF displayed an inverse association to anti-EBV-CA antibodies. In summary, our study identified immune cells and factors that might regulate or be regulated by BAFF and APRIL levels in MS, and during B cell depletion and repopulation.

B-cell repopulation dynamics and drug pharmacokinetics impact SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy in anti-CD20-treated multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent findings document a blunted humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients on anti-CD20 treatment. Although most patients develop a cellular response, it is still important to identify predictors of seroconversion to optimize vaccine responses. METHODS: We determined antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in a real-world cohort of multiple sclerosis patients (n = 94) treated with anti-CD20, mainly rituximab, with variable treatment duration (median = 2.9, range = 0.4-9.6 years) and time from last anti-CD20 infusion to vaccination (median = 190, range = 60-1032 days). RESULTS: We find that presence of B cells and/or rituximab in blood predict seroconversion better than time since last infusion. Using multiple logistic regression, presence of >0.5% B cells increased probability of seroconversion with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-28.1, p = 0.055), whereas the corresponding OR for ≥6 months since last infusion was 1.45 (95% CI = 0.20-10.15, p = 0.705). In contrast, detectable rituximab levels were negatively associated with seroconversion (OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.002-0.392, p = 0.012). Furthermore, naïve and memory IgG+ B cells correlated with antibody levels. Although retreatment with rituximab at 4 weeks or more after booster depleted spike-specific B cells, it did not noticeably affect the rate of decline in antibody titers. Interferon-γ and/or interleukin-13 T-cell responses to the spike S1 domain were observed in most patients, but with no correlation to spike antibody levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are relevant for providing individualized guidance to patients and planning of vaccination schemes, in turn optimizing benefit-risk with anti-CD20.

Development of humoral and cellular immunological memory against SARS-CoV-2 despite B cell depleting treatment in multiple sclerosis.

B cell depleting therapies (BCDTs) are widely used as immunomodulating agents for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Their possible impact on development of immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has raised concerns with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We here evaluated the frequency of COVID-19-like symptoms and determined immunological responses in participants of an observational trial comprising several multiple sclerosis disease modulatory drugs (COMBAT-MS; NCT03193866) and in eleven patients after vaccination, with a focus on BCDT. Almost all seropositive and 17.9% of seronegative patients on BCDT, enriched for a history of COVID-19-like symptoms, developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 T cell memory, and T cells displayed functional similarity to controls producing IFN-γ and TNF. Following vaccination, vaccine-specific humoral memory was impaired, while all patients developed a specific T cell response. These results indicate that BCDTs do not abrogate SARS-CoV-2 cellular memory and provide a possible explanation as to why the majority of patients on BCDTs recover from COVID-19.