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Most Patients With IBD Show Positive Seroconversion After COVID-19 Vaccine
Seroconversion was good, although slightly lower than in healthy controls, after 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
“The findings provide reassurance to patients with IBD and clinicians treating them regarding the seroconversion after complete vaccination for most vaccines,” researchers wrote.
The investigation included a total 46 studies reporting response to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with IBD.
According to the findings, 31 studies spanning 9447 patients showed a 0.96 pooled seroconversion rate after complete vaccination, just slightly lower than the 0.98 pooled seroconversion rate for healthy control subjects. The pooled relative risk of breakthrough infections in vaccinated people with IBD was similar to vaccinated control subjects.
Amid various IBD medications, rates of seroconversion were statistically similar, the study found. Pooled rates were numerically, but not statistically, lower for patients on steroids and the combination of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) with immunomodulators, but still higher than 90% after complete vaccination. Meanwhile, seroconversion was excellent for patients on no treatment or on anti-TNF agents alone, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, or Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.
A review of durability studies suggested that titers begin declining 4 weeks after complete vaccination and that decay was faster in patients treated with anti-TNF agents, immunomodulators, or a combination of both.
“An additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine elicited serological response in most nonresponders to complete vaccination,” researchers reported.
—Jolynn Tumolo
Reference
Jena A, James D, Singh AK, Dutta U, Sebastian S, Sharma V. Effectiveness and durability of COVID-19 vaccination in 9447 patients with IBD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022;20(7):1456-1479.e18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2022.02.030
