The purpose of this study is to understand the immune response to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients on B-cell depleting therapies (BCDT) over time, which in the future may help to inform clinical decision making in this patient population.
This will be a prospective, observational cohort study consisting of individuals with autoimmune diseases who are undergoing treatment with anti-CD20 medications at the time they receive a vaccine against COVID-19. Control groups will include healthy individuals, individuals with autoimmune diseases on other immunomodulators, and individuals with autoimmune diseases not on immunotherapy. Participants will undergo serial blood draws and saliva collections at prespecified time points surrounding vaccination. A subset of agreeable participants will undergo skin biopsy within days of the first vaccination, with the option to repeat skin biopsy after the second vaccination. Additional blood, saliva and skin biopsy specimens may be obtained after booster vaccinations or after known COVID19 infections . Specimens collected will be used for studies aimed at (1) understanding the pathobiology of neurologic/inflammatory/immune diseases and the immunologic response to COVID-19 vaccination, (2) identifying how and why treatments used for neurologic/immune diseases may impact the effectiveness of vaccination, and (3) identifying dermatologic manifestations of the immunologic response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The investigators are investigating both the production of antibodies against the virus over time and deeply interrogating the T-cell response to vaccination using methods that measure T-cell reactivity to the COVID-19 virus, including single cell RNA sequencing.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
400
All participants receive one or more FDA-authorized COVID19 vaccinations according to standard of care and current medical recommendations. The intervention is not specifically administered as part of the study.
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Change in coronavirus disease 19 (COVID19) antibody titers over time
COVID 19 spike and neutralizing antibody titers will be monitored serially
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines
Change in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) specific T-cell activation over time
Flow cytometry characterizing immunophenotype of SARS-CoV2 specific T cells
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines
Skin biopsy analysis
Histologic and immunologic characterization of skin biopsy specimens, comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated arm, at one or more timepoints post-vaccination
Time frame: 7 days post vaccine 1; 7 days post vaccine 2; 4 days post booster (all timepoints optional)
Measurement of COVID19 antibodies in saliva
Descriptive assessment of whether COVID antibodies can be detected in saliva at any time point
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines
Immune analysis
Deep immunologic assessment (flow cytometry, single cell RNA sequencing) of blood specimens; descriptive analysis at each timepoint with comparisons over time will be performed.
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines
Changes in patient reported outcomes: COVID history
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Subjective reports of vaccination-associated symptoms and COVID risk factors (COVID-19 survey)
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines
Change in patient reported outcomes: patient reported disability steps
Subjects will complete Patient Derived Disability Step score
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines
Change in patient reported outcomes: overall symptoms
SymptoMS screening questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks post vaccine 1, pre-vaccine 2, 1 week post vaccine 2, 6 months post vaccine 2; pre- and 2 week post any additional vaccines