[brainbrane]

I just learned last week that my COVID antibody count from the vaccine is zero. Since I'm on an immunosuppressing medication that wipes out the B cells in my bloodstream, this isn't really all that surprising to me. I learned about this because I'm in a medical study, and other people in the study who take the same medication also don't produce any COVID antibodies in response to the vaccine.

What's interesting is that I still get side effects from the vaccine, and they seem to be right in line with the side effects that other people generally report. I'm no immunologist, but I've taken an armchair interest in the subject since I've been managing an autoimmune disease (MS) for the past 25 years.

The immune system is an amazingly complex thing with many branches. Different types of cells interact in ways that we have yet to fully understand. In spite of having no B cells (except what's in my bone marrow), my T cell count is solidly in the normal range. And the currently-accepted catalog of types of T cells is enough to make your head swim:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_cell#Types_of_T_cell

Three types of CD4+ Helper T cells are implicated in MS: Th1, Th17, and Th9. And yet by killing the B cells in my bloodstream, for me that seems to stop these T cells from doing MS-like activity without substantially compromising my body's ability to still fight infections.

What does all this mean for my own risk level from COVID, and in particular the Delta variant? Absolutely no clue. I've gotten my third (booster) shot and will be getting more blood drawn next week for the medical study, which I expect will again result in a zero COVID antibody count.

People on my medication have been shown to have more severe cases of COVID when they contract it. I'm a realist about COVID and realize that some day I'll contract it. The best I can do is make sure I'm otherwise in good shape by eating, sleeping, and exercising right. Another option is to go off my medication, let my B cells recover, and then try another less effective medication for a while. For people in my circumstance, there really are no good answers right now.

I know this is all at best tangential to the subject of this study, but I'm glad this research is getting done, and I hope it will lead to a better understanding of how to protect everyone.

[dimgl]

> What's interesting is that I still get side effects from the vaccine

What side effects? How can you know this is coming from the vaccine?

> I've been managing an autoimmune disease (MS) for the past 25 years.

Wouldn't it be more likely that this [multiple sclerosis] is the cause of your symptoms?

[fshbbdssbbgdd]

I assume we’re talking about the acute flu-like side effects commonly experienced in the days after getting the vaccine. Presumably this person can tell the difference between those and whatever they’ve had for the previous 25 years.

[Johnny555]

Wouldn't it be more likely that this [multiple sclerosis] is the cause of your symptoms?

More likely than "immunosuppressing medication that wipes out the B cells in my bloodstream"?

[throw_nbvc1234]

Probably means the typically vaccine side-effects that are similar to getting a cold as your body "fights off" the vaccine and develops immunity.

[AndrewBissell]

Is it possible that your side effects are a result of your immune system reacting against the delivery mechanism (PEG or adenovirus) of the vaccine? Here's one source suggesting this may occur: https://sanchakblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/06/mrna-vaccines-b...

[faeyanpiraat]

Which medication are you using?

[webinvest]

Maybe one for HIV/AIDS? That disease is an eventual death sentence.

[brainbrane]

MS is autoimmune. HIV/AIDS is a viral infection. The diseases and their treatments are night and day with respect to each other. If by "that disease" you are referring to an HIV infection, then yes, complications from HIV often kill people. If you are referring to MS, not so much, relatively speaking. One study found that people with MS live to be 75.9 years old, on average, compared to 83.4 years old for those without.

[brainbrane]

Ocrelizumab.

[rossdavidh]

"I'm a realist about COVID and realize that some day I'll contract it. The best I can do is make sure I'm otherwise in good shape by eating, sleeping, and exercising right...."

My goodness, what a remarkably calm and informed attitude. It's a wonder you're allowed on the internet.

By the way, it is theoretically possible that your immune system knows how to make the antibodies, but isn't right now because of the immunosuppressing medication. One strategy might be to only pause that if you get sick, hoping that your system knows how to make the antibodies, and will do so more quickly because you've been vaccinated. But that's just a hopeful guess, of course.

[rossdavidh]

Just to make sure, the bit about "remarkable calm and informed", was not mean ironically.