Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with higher seroprevalence rates of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

INTRODUCTION According to the current data, there has been no increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). OBJECTIVES The available data are based on symptomatic cases and do not include the asymptomatic ones. To measure the exact infection rate, we initiated a study that aimed to assess the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in IBD. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 864 individuals were enrolled in the study, including 432 patients with IBD (290 with Crohn disease and 142 with ulcerative colitis) and 432 controls without IBD (healthcare professionals) matched for age and sex. Serum samples were prospectively collected, and the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM + IgA antibodies were measured using the enzyme-linkedimmunoassay method (Vircell Microbiologists). RESULTS A significantly higher percentage of positive results for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, both in the IgG and IgM + IgA class, was found in patients with IBD (4.6% and 6%, respectively, compared with 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively, in controls; both P values < 0.05). No patient had symptomatic COVID-19. There was no association among patients' age, sex, drugs used for IBD, or disease activity and the occurrence of IgG antibodies. CONCLUSIONS Patients with IBD may be at higher risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection, defined as the presence of elevated levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, but not of having a symptomatic and / or severe course of COVID-19 compared with healthcare professionals without IBD.

Automated summary

According to the study, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher detection rate of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, but no symptomatic COVID-19 cases were found among them. Factors such as age, sex, medications used for IBD, or disease activity were not associated with the presence of antibodies.