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BackgroundPrevious studies have reported impaired humoral responses after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in immunocompromised patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID), particularly those treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) biologics. We previously reported that IMID patients exhibited greater waning of antibody and T cell responses compared to healthy controls after dose 2. Fewer data are available on the effects of third and fourth doses.MethodsThis observational cohort study collected plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy controls and untreated or treated IMID patients, pre-vaccination and after one to four doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273). SARS-CoV-2- specific antibody levels, neutralization, and T cell cytokine responses were measured against Wildtype (WT) and BA.1 and BA.5 variants of concern (VOCs).ResultsThird vaccine doses substantially restored and prolonged antibody and T cell responses in IMID patients and broadened responses against VOCs. Fourth dose effects were subtle but also prolonged antibody responses. However, IMID patients treated with anti-TNF, especially inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, exhibited lower antibody responses even after the fourth dose. Although T cell IFNγ responses were maximal after one dose, IL-2 and IL-4 production increased with successive doses, and early production of these cytokines was predictive of neutralization responses at 3-4 months post-vaccination.ConclusionOur study demonstrates that third and fourth doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine sustain and broaden immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, supporting the recommendation for three- and four-dose vaccination regimens in IMID patients.FundingCOVID-19 Immunity Task Force and Speck family donationConflict-of-Interest StatementsAnne-Claude Gingras has received research funds from a research contract with Providence Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., for other projects, participated in the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) Immune Science and Testing working party, chaired the CIHR Institute of Genetics Advisory Board, and chairs the SAB of the National Research Council of Canada Human Health Therapeutics Board. Vinod Chandran has received research grants from AbbVie, Amgen, and Eli Lilly and has received honoraria for advisory board member roles from AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB. His spouse is an employee of AstraZeneca. Vincent Piguet has no personal financial ties with any pharmaceutical company. He has received honoraria for speaker and/or advisory board member roles from AbbVie, Celgene, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd, LEO Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, UCB, and Union Therapeutics. In his role as Department Division Director of Dermatology at the University of Toronto, Dr. Piguet has received departmental support in the form of unrestricted educational grants from AbbVie, Bausch Health, Celgene, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Lilly, L’Oréal, NAOS, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz and Sanofi in the past 36 months. Vincent Piguet has received research grants from Sanofi, Abbvie and Novartis. Mark Silverberg has received research support, consulting fees and speaker honoraria from AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Gilead, and Amgen. All other authors have no conflicts to declare.Graphical Abstract

Influenza vaccination can be less effective in patients treated with immunosuppressive therapy. However, little is known about the effects of ustekinumab, an anti-IL-12/23 agent used to treat Crohn&rsquo, s disease (CD), on vaccination response. In this prospective study, we assessed immune responses to seasonal influenza vaccination in CD patients treated with ustekinumab compared to CD patients treated with anti-TNF&alpha, therapy (adalimumab) and healthy controls. Humoral responses were assessed with hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assays. Influenza-specific total CD3+, CD3+CD4+, and CD3+CD8+ T-cell responses were measured with flow cytometry. Fifteen patients treated with ustekinumab, 12 with adalimumab and 20 healthy controls were vaccinated for seasonal influenza in September 2018. Seroprotection rates against all vaccine strains in the ustekinumab group were high and comparable to healthy controls. Seroconversion rates were comparable, and for A/H3N2 highest in the ustekinumab group. HI titers were significantly higher in the ustekinumab group and healthy controls than in the adalimumab group for the B/Victoria strain. Post-vaccination T-cell responses in the ustekinumab group were similar to healthy controls. One-month post-vaccination proliferation of CD3+CD8+ T-cells was highest in the ustekinumab group. In conclusion, ustekinumab does not impair immune responses to inactivated influenza vaccination. Therefore, CD patients treated with ustekinumab can be effectively vaccinated for seasonal influenza

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a proposed trigger in the etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with lymphoproliferative diseases. Nevertheless, testing for EBV DNA in the intestinal mucosa and screening for EBV infection before initiation of a drug therapy are not routinely performed. The aim of this article is to increase awareness of the relevance of EBV infection in specific clinical situations. In this short communication, we describe the disease course of three IBD patients with EBV infection, varying from EBV reactivation during disease flare up to a trigger of EBV-related mucocutaneous ulcer (EBV-MCU) and haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Our first patient was diagnosed with EBV reactivation-associated severe colitis and showed a rapid clinical improvement after induction therapy with infliximab and azathioprine. Without antiviral treatment, the patient remained in complete remission and no complications of EBV were seen. After diagnosing EBV-MCU in the second patient, immunosuppressive medication was discontinued and four infusions of rituximab resulted in a rapid clinical recovery and eventually complete response. After discontinuation of the immunosuppression in our last patient with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, treatment with a combination of corticosteroid and antiviral therapy resulted in a complete recovery over a time span of several weeks. EBV infection has a wide variety of potentially life-threatening clinical manifestations in IBD patients. Testing for EBV in case of a flare up and screening for EBV before the start of immunosuppressive therapy will create awareness for EBV-related symptoms or complications during follow-up.

ObjectiveCannabis is associated with psychotic outcomes in numerous studies, an effect that is commonly attributed to Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 9-THC). An increasing number of authors identify cannabidiol, another component of the cannabis plant, as an antipsychotic agent. The objective of the current study is to investigate the role of cannabidiol content in the association between cannabis use and psychiatric symptoms in a large non-clinical population of cannabis users.MethodsIn a web-based cross-sectional study we obtained detailed information about cannabis use and subclinical psychiatric experiences using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE). Different types of cannabis (i.e. marijuana, hashish etc.) have distinctive proportions of Δ 9-THC and cannabidiol. Since average concentrations of Δ 9-THC and cannabidiol in the most popular types of cannabis sold on the Dutch market are annually measured, we were able to estimate exposure to Δ 9-THC and cannabidiol.ResultsWe included 1877 subjects (mean age 23, SD 6.0) who used the same type of cannabis in the majority of the occasions (in >60% of occasions). We found a significant inverse relationship (F(1,1877): 14.577, p