Clinical and Laboratory Outcomes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients after COVID-19 Vaccination

Background and purpose: Public vaccination was highly recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of evidence-based data made inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients hesitant to receive the vaccine. In this study, clinical and laboratory outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination were investigated in patients with IBD. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted on patients with IBD who referred to gastroenterology clinics across Sari during 2021-2022. Patients' information including demographic data and laboratory parameters were recorderd. Clinical outcomes of IBD based on the partial Mayo score in ulcerative colitis and the Harvey-Bradshaw index in Crohn's were compared before vaccination and within three months after receiving the second vaccine. Results: A total of 111 patients with IBD, including 100 ulcerative colitis patients and 11 Crohn's patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. The two groups were matched for distribution of age, gender, and disease extent. In addition, there was no significant difference between the groups in COVID-19 infection frequency, COVID-19 severity, type of vaccines received, and vaccine injection frequency. No significant differences were observed in clinical outcomes and laboratory parameters between the patients before being vaccinated and after receiving the second dose of vaccine. There were no changes in the type of IBD drugs within three months after getting the second vaccine, except for steroid prescription increase in ulcerative colitis patients (4% vs. 10%, P<0.01). Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was found between steroid necessity and partial Mayo score (r=0.658, P<0.001). Conclusion: Receiving at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines did not change the clinical outcomes and laboratory parameters of IBD patients. The results of this study are promising and can reduce possible concerns in IBD patients regarding the use of vaccines against COVID-19.