COVID-19 vaccination responses in people with vasculitis [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do people with vasculitis and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases mount an effective response to COVID-19 vaccination, and how long does it last for?
IRAS ID
295772
Contact name
Lucy Fairclough
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
People with vasculitis and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases may not develop as effective or long-lasting a response to COVID-19 vaccination as healthy people of a similar age. This means people with vasculitis may be less well protected following vaccination, and perhaps require more frequent booster doses of vaccination than healthy people.
We plan to test the response to vaccination in 50 people with vasculitis (and compare this to the response to vaccination in 50 people of a similar age from the general population recruited as part of a related study). We will recruit people with vasculitis from the large number of people with vasculitis who attend the rheumatology & renal departments in Nottingham for their healthcare. All patients will receive their vaccine as they usually would (when they are invited in their priority group). This study involves asking people to give blood samples to test their response to vaccination – both before and after vaccination.
Research has shown that there are two key components to the immune system response that protect against COVID-19 infection – these are levels of protective antibodies, and numbers of protective memory T-cells produced. The protective T-cell response may be particularly important in people who have been treated with Rituximab, because Rituximab directly affects the cells which make antibodies. We will measure both types of responses using tests already developed and working in the immunology labs in Nottingham.
We will take blood samples for analysis just before vaccination, 1, 3, 6 & 12 months after vaccination. This will allow us to measure how effective the response to vaccination is among people with vasculitis, and how long it lasts. We will see whether particular treatments (e.g. steroids, or rituximab) affect the response to vaccination.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/WM/0097
Date of REC Opinion
30 Mar 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion