Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the cell‐mediated immune response to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its relationship with IgG antibodies. Methods This cross‐sectional observational study included 138 consecutive patients (1:1 ratio of Crohn′s disease and ulcerative colitis). The patients were divided into three therapeutic groups: nonimmunosuppressed, corticosteroid or azathioprine users, and biological agent users. Blood samples were analyzed for IgG antibodies against the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein and for the antigen‐specific levels of several cytokines. Results The study demonstrated that all cytokines increased significantly after stimulation with the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein, except for IL‐4 and IL‐17 in patients taking biologicals. Patients not on immunosuppressants had higher levels of TNF‐ α , IL‐6, and IL‐10 than the other groups. There was no correlation between antibody titers and cytokine levels, except for interferon gamma (IFN‐ γ ), which showed a positive correlation. Conclusion This study suggests that immunosuppression may affect cellular immunity without compromising humoral immunity. The decreased production of IL‐6, IL‐10, and TNF α in immunosuppressed patients could explain the reduced adverse outcomes from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection observed in this group in previous research.
Pereira et al. (Thu,) studied this question.