Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Rituximab have better responses to the COVID-19 vaccine if they have higher B cell counts. This is the finding of a study from Uppsala University published in the journal JAMA Network Open. In patients with B cell counts of 40/µL (microlitres) or more, 9 of 10 patients developed protective levels of antibodies, while significantly fewer with lower counts had similar responses.
“In our study, the B cell level in patients given Rituximab was the only factor that influenced the ability to form antibodies after vaccination. Previously, it was assumed that it was enough to wait a certain period after administering Rituximab for the vaccine to have a good effect. But to increase the chance of the vaccine causing the body to form antibodies, you first need to measure the level of B cells and ensure there are enough,” says Andreas Tolf, a doctoral student in experimental neurology at Uppsala University and physician at Uppsala University Hospital.
In Sweden, Rituximab is the most common medicine for MS, but it is also used for many other diseases. The medicine is given as a drip, normally once or twice a year, and has…
Medical Xpress. (2022, May 12). Multiple sclerosis patients with higher B cell counts found to have a better vaccine response
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-05-multiple-sclerosis-patients-higher-cell.html