COVID-19 in a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient treated with alemtuzumab: Insight to the immune response after COVID

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel disease that has spread abruptly over the world, allowing the development of countermeasures an urgent global priority. It has been speculated that elder people and patient with comorbidities may be at risk of developing complication. On the other hand, it has been seen that immunosuppressed patients could develop a mild presentation of the disease. Based on this hypothesis, several immunosuppressant agents are currently being tested as potential treatment for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

report a patient treated with alemtuzumab (Humanized monoclonal antibody against the lymphocyte and monocyte surface antigen CD52, which depletes B and T cells) (Thompson et al., 2018) for recurrent remittent multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who developed mild COVID-19.

Despite complete B and T cell depletion, patient symptoms abated few days with no need for hospitalization due to COVID-19 and no clinical evidence of disease activation regarding her MS.

This report shows that MS patients with mild depletion of B and T cells can mount an antiviral response against COVID-19 and produce IgG.