Risk of disease relapse following COVID-19 vaccination in patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD and MOGAD

Alessandro Dinoto; Elia Sechi; Sergio Ferrari; Alberto Gajofatto; Riccardo Orlandi; Paolo Solla; Alessandra Maccabeo; Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco; Vincenzo Andreone; Arianna Sartori; Paolo Manganotti; Sarah Rasia; Ruggero Capra; Chiara Rosa Mancinelli; Sara Mariotto

doi:10.1016/j.msard.2021.103424

Risk of disease relapse following COVID-19 vaccination in patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD and MOGAD

Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Feb:58:103424. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103424. Epub 2021 Nov 22.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine, and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.
² Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Italy.
³ Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Italy; Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Italy.
⁴ Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit "A. Cardarelli Hospital", Naples, Italy.
⁵ Neurology Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Cattinara University Hospital, ASUGI, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
⁶ Multiple Sclerosis Center, ASST - Spedali Civili of Brescia, Montichiari, Brescia, Italy.
⁷ Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine, and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy. Electronic address: sara.mariotto@gmail.com.

Abstract

Post-vaccination disease relapses have been reported in patients with MOGAD and AQP4-IgG+NMOSD. In this retrospective multicenter Italian study we assessed the frequency of relapses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. We included 56 cases: MOGAD, 30; AQP4-IgG+NMOSD, 26. Vaccines received were BNT162b2-Pfizer-BioNTech in 42 patients and mRNA-1273-Moderna in 14 patients. Six patients had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection; two of them experienced a post-infection disease relapse (MOGAD). The frequency of relapses within one month of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was 4% (1/26) in the AQP4-IgG+NMOSD group and 0% in the MOGAD group. In these patients the potential benefits of vaccination overcome the risk of relapses.

Keywords: AQP4; MOG; MOGAD; NMOSD; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination.

Publication types

Letter
Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Aquaporin 4
Autoantibodies
BNT162 Vaccine
COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Humans
Immunoglobulin G
Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
Neuromyelitis Optica*
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination

Substances

Aquaporin 4
Autoantibodies
COVID-19 Vaccines
Immunoglobulin G
Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
BNT162 Vaccine