Abstract
Background and aims:
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines-associated autoimmune liver diseases have been reported in several case reports. However, the safety and immunogenicity after primary and booster inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with autoimmune liver diseases (AILD) is still unknown.
Methods:
Eighty-four patients with AILD were prospectively followed up after the second dose (primary) of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Some of them received the third dose (booster) of inactivated vaccine. Adverse events (AEs), autoimmune activation, and liver inflammation exacerbation after primary and booster vaccination were recorded. Meanwhile, dynamics of antireceptor-binding-domain IgG (anti-RBD-IgG), neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and RBD-specific B cells responses were evaluated.
Results:
The overall AEs in AILD patients after primary and booster vaccination were 26.2% and 13.3%, respectively. The decrease of C3 level and increase of immunoglobulin light chain κ and λ levels were observed in AILD patients after primary vaccination, however, liver inflammation was not exacerbated, even after booster vaccination. Both the seroprevalence and titers of anti-RBD-IgG and NAbs were decreased over time in AILD patients after primary vaccination. Notably, the antibody titers were significantly elevated after booster vaccination (10-fold in anti-RBD-IgG and 7.4-fold in NAbs, respectively), which was as high as in healthy controls. Unfortunately, the inferior antibody response was not enhanced after booster vaccination in patients with immunosuppressants. Changes of atypical memory B cells were inversely related to antibody levels, which indicate that the impaired immune memory was partially restored partly by the booster vaccination.
Conclusions:
The well tolerability and enhanced humoral immune response of inactivated vaccine supports an additional booster vaccination in AILD patients without immunosuppressants.