Table 2.
Humoral and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients and controls.
| Controls (n = 13) | RTX or BEL (n = 28) | P value (RTX or BEL vs. controls) | RTX alone (n = 11) |
P value (RTX vs. controls) | BEL alone (n = 17) |
P value (BEL vs. controls) | P value (RTX vs. BEL) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presence of humoral response, n (%) | 13 (100) | 18 (64.3) | 0.0172 | 1 (9) | <0.0001 | 16 (94.1) | 1.0 | <0.0001 |
| Anti-RBD titer, U/ml | 1133 (692.5–2260.5) | 39.65 (0–459.5) | <0.0001 | 0 (0–0) | <0.0001 | 243 (77.55–744.0) | 0.002 | <0.0001 |
| Positive Coviferon result, n (%) | 13 (100) | 24 (85.7) | 0.288 | 8 (72.7) | 0.0815 | 16 (94.1) | 1.0 | 0.269 |
| IFNγ release, pg/ml | 204.01 (96.7–590.7) | 149.85 (50.69–273.19) | 0.249 | 114.9 (3.15–414.7) | 0.277 | 156.14 (61.5–266.9) | 0.363 | 0.746 |
| Total white blood cell count, cells/μl | – | – | – | 5417.0 (4978.0–6413.0) | – | 4764.0 (3617.0–6781.0) | – | 0.305 |
| Lymphocyte count, cells/μl | – | – | – | 1270.0 (925.0–1670.0) | – | 1220.0 (840.0–1950.0) | – | 0.610 |
| CD3+ T cell count, cells/μl | – | – | – | 1070.0 (870.0–1518.0) | – | 1109.0 (701.0–1838.0) | – | 0.683 |
| CD4+ T cell count, cells/μl | – | – | – | 687.0 (577.0–926.0)] | – | 581.0 (351.0–1248.0) | – | 0.721 |
| CD8+ T cell count, cells/mmc | – | – | – | 483.0 (259.0–562.0) | – | 339.0 (250.0–481.0) | – | 0.121 |
| CD19+ B cell count, cells/μl | – | – | – | 0 (0–0) | – | 32.0 (9.0–48.0) | – | <0.0001 |
| Serum IgG, mg/dl | – | – | – | 1130.0 (951.0–1510.0) | – | 887.0 (834.0–1077.5) | – | 0.085 |
BEL: belimumab; IFN: interferon; IL: interleukin; RTX: rituximab.
Results are expressed as median (Q1–Q3 interquartile range) unless indicated otherwise.