SARS-CoV-2 in inflammatory bowel disease population: Antibodies, disease and correlation with therapy

Guidelines recommend to cease inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) biologic therapy during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

To investigate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody positivity in an IBD cohort, COVID-19 disease severity and to evaluate the correlation with clinical/therapeutic variables.

Prospective observational cohort study. IBD patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Data on COVID-19 disease, demographics/therapeutics and clinical features of the IBD population were collected. IgG ≥ 7 was set for SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity. Throat swab was performed in cases of IgG positivity. Correlations between antibody positivity or COVID-19 symptoms and therapeutic/clinical data were assessed.

In total, 103 IBD patients were enrolled. Among them, 18.4% had IgG ≥ 7. Multivariate analysis of antibody positivity correlated only with IBD treatment. For IgG ≥ 7, the odds ratio was 1.44 and 0.16 for azathioprine and mesalazine, respectively, vs biologic drugs (P = 0.0157 between them). COVID-19 related symptoms were reported in 63% of patients with IgG positivity. All but one patient with COVID-19 symptoms did not require ceasing IBD treatment or hospitalization. IBD treatment and body mass index correlated with COVID-19 disease development with symptoms.

The IBD population does not have a higher risk of severe COVID-19. The relative risk of having SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and symptoms was higher for patients taking azathioprine, then biologic therapy and lastly mesalazine. None of the patients under biologic therapy developed severe COVID-19.