Papers of the Week

It is unclear whether biological antipsoriatic therapies affect seroconversion after messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) vaccinations. To assess antibody formation and the incidence of side effects after anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations in psoriatic patients receiving different biologicals compared to healthy controls. 102 moderate-to-severe psoriatic patients (56.2 [±13.5] years) and 55 age-matched healthy (56.4 ± 13.6 years) volunteers were included in our study. Ten to 21 days after the administration of the second dosage of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine, antibody levels specific to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein receptor binding domain were monitored. The incidence of postvaccination side effects was recorded and compared to real-life data in the literature. Of the 102 patients, 57 (55.88%) received tumor necrosis factor (TNF), 28 (27.45%) received interleukin (IL)-12/23, 16 (15.68%) received IL-17, and 1 (0.99%) received IL-23 inhibitors. No significant differences in the median serum level of anti-SARS-CoV-2S antibody were observed between the study population and the control group (median IQR range: 1681.0 U/mL (600.0-4844.0) vs. 1984.0 U/mL (1000.0-3136.0; p = 0.82). The most frequent side effects of the mRNA vaccines within 7 days after the administration of both dosages were arm pain on the side of injection (23.53% and 23.53%), fatigue (9.80% and 13.72%), headache (4.9% and 5.88%) and chills or shivering (4.9% and 8.82%). Detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2S protein appear 10-21 days after the administration of the second dosage of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines in moderate-to-severe psoriatic patients receiving biologicals, similar to those of healthy controls. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.