Multiple sclerosis patients under treatment with interferon β1-a or ocrelizumab exhibit different T and B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine - Summary - MDSpire

Multiple sclerosis patients under treatment with interferon β1-a or ocrelizumab exhibit different T and B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

  • By

  • Antonietta Liotti

  • Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco

  • Anne Lise Ferrara

  • Valeria Mazzone

  • Maedeh Dehbozorgi

  • Annamária Szabó

  • Martina Belardo

  • Daria Marcogiuseppe

  • Antonio De Martino

  • Maria Elena Di Battista

  • Giovanna Servillo

  • Ornella Moreggia

  • Daniele Di Giulio Cesare

  • Vincenzo Andreone

  • Gilda Varricchi

  • Veronica De Rosa

  • June 16, 2026

  • 0 min

Share

Objective:

To analyze T and B cell subsets and the antigen-specific T cell response in multiple sclerosis patients treated with interferon β1-a or ocrelizumab before and after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, highlighting the importance of these analyses.

Key Findings:
  • CD20+ B-cells were decreased in OCRE-treated pwMS compared to IFN-treated pwMS before and after vaccination.
  • CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses and immunological memory were comparable between both treatment groups.
  • Th17 cells increased after vaccination only in the OCRE-treated group.
  • A spike-specific T cell response was observed in both groups, alongside a significant decrease in Treg frequency.
Interpretation:

Both DMTs allowed for a vaccine-induced cellular and humoral immune response, despite distinct immunological profiles, as observed in the findings.

Limitations:
  • Small sample size of 20 pwMS.
  • Single-center study may limit generalizability.
Conclusion:

The study provides insights into the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pwMS treated with different DMTs, based on the observed data.

Original Source(s)

Multiple sclerosis patients under treatment with interferon β1-a or ocrelizumab exhibit different T and B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

  • by Antonietta Liotti, Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco, Anne Lise Ferrara, Valeria Mazzone, Maedeh Dehbozorgi, Annamária Szabó, Martina Belardo, Daria Marcogiuseppe, Antonio De Martino, Maria Elena Di Battista, Giovanna Servillo, Ornella Moreggia, Daniele Di Giulio Cesare, Vincenzo Andreone, Gilda Varricchi, Veronica De Rosa

  • June 16, 2026

Related Content

The immune-endothelial axis in neurovascular pathophysiology: a framework for targeted interventions

Relative increase of memory B-cell subsets under s.c. B-cell-depleting therapies in multiple sclerosis

Case Report: Successful treatment of recurrent COVID-19 with intravenous immunoglobulin in a patient with rituximab-induced B-cell depletion and restoration of Fc-mediated effector functions