Immunization and multiple sclerosis: Recommendations from the French Multiple Sclerosis Society

International audienceObjectives: To establish recommendations on immunization for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).Background: Vaccines have been suspected in the past to trigger MS and relapses. With the extension of the immunoactive treatment arsenal, other concerns have been raised more recently about an increased risk of infection or a decreased effectiveness of immunization in immunosuppressed patients.Methods: The French Group for Recommendations into Multiple Sclerosis (France4MS) performed a systematic search of papers in Medline and other university databases (January 1975-June 2018). The RAND/UCLA appropriateness method was chosen to review the scientific literature and to formalize the degree of agreement among experts on 5 clinical questions related to immunization and MS. Readers from the steering committee conducted a systematic analysis, wrote a critical synthesis and prepared a list of proposals that were evaluated by a rating group of 28 MS experts. The final version of the recommendations was finally reviewed by a reading group of 110 health care professionals and classified as appropriate, inappropriate or uncertain.Results: Neurologists should verify the vaccination status as soon as MS is diagnosed and before disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) are introduced. The French vaccination schedule applies to MS patients and seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended. In the case of treatment-induced immunosuppression, MS patients should be informed about the risk of infection and the vaccination standards of the French High Council of Health should be applied. Live attenuated vaccines are contra-indicated in patients recently treated with immunosuppressive drugs, including corticosteroids; other vaccines can be proposed whatever the treatment, but their effectiveness may be partly reduced with some drugs.Conclusion: Physicians and patients should be aware of the updated recommendations for immunizations of patients with MS

Doravirine plus lamivudine two-drug regimen as maintenance antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV: a French observational study

International audienceBackground: Two-drug regimens based on integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) and boosted PIs have entered recommended ART. However, INSTIs and boosted PIs may not be suitable for all patients. We aimed to report our experience with doravirine/lamivudine as maintenance therapy in people living with HIV (PLWH) followed in French HIV settings.Methods: This observational study enrolled all adults who initiated doravirine/lamivudine between 1 September 2019 and 31 October 2021, in French HIV centres participating in the Dat'AIDS cohort. The primary outcome was the rate of virological success (plasma HIV-RNA < 50 copies/mL) at Week (W)48. Secondary outcomes included: rate of treatment discontinuation for non-virological reasons, evolution of CD4 count and CD4/CD8 ratio over follow-up.Results: Fifty patients were included, with 34 (68%) men; median age: 58 years (IQR 51-62), ART duration: 20 years (13-23), duration of virological suppression: 14 years (8-19), CD4 count: 784 cells/mm3 (636-889). Prior to switching, all had plasma HIV-RNA < 50 copies/mL. All but three were naive to doravirine, and 36 (72%) came from a three-drug regimen. Median follow-up was 79 weeks (IQR 60-96). Virological success rate at W48 was 98.0% (95% CI 89.4-99.9). One virological failure occurred at W18 (HIV-RNA = 101 copies/mL) in a patient who briefly discontinued doravirine/lamivudine due to intense nightmares; there was no resistance at baseline and no resistance emergence. There were three strategy discontinuations for adverse events (digestive disorders: n = 2; insomnia: n = 1). There was no significant change in CD4/CD8 ratio, while CD4 T cell count significantly increased.Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that doravirine/lamivudine regimens can maintain high levels of viral suppression in highly ART-experienced PLWH with long-term viral suppression, and good CD4+ T cell count