Table 3

Univariate associations and total effect estimates on antibody levels after third vaccine dose

CharacteristicsBeta (SE) (univariate)P value (univariate)Total effect (SE)P value
(total effect)
Age in years−19.5 (9.2)0.035−19.5 (9.2)0.035
Male gender−316.3 (270.3)0.242−316.3 (270.3)0.242
Pause in medication571 (359.4)0.112383.4 (369.8)0.3
Anti-Spike antibody level after second vaccine dose0.7 (0)<0.0010.6 (0)<0.001
Time between second and third dose
 Less than 3 months(reference)(reference)
 Between 3 and 4 months1783.3 (421.2)<0.0011859.5 (421.2)<0.001
 Between 4 and 5 months1753.1 (428)<0.0011963 (434.1)<0.001
 More than 5 months2168.5 (423.7)<0.0012400.5 (430.4)<0.001
Diagnosis
 Rheumatoid arthritis(reference)(reference)
 Spondyloarthritis−787.7 (407.9)0.054−1150.4 (425.9)0.007
 Psoriatic arthritis405.4 (402.4)0.314211.6 (408.1)0.604
 Crohn’s disease−1084.9 (381.8)0.005−1858.4 (431)<0.001
 Ulcerative colitis−1054.7 (427.5)0.014−1732.8 (463.9)<0.001
Medication
 Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor, monotherapy*(reference)(reference)
 Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor combination therapy†−123.1 (339.8)0.717−463.9 (365.6)0.205
 Methotrexate2293.7 (356.1)<0.0012043.6 (443.5)<0.001
 Vedolizumab1561.9 (670.3)0.022040.2 (694.5)0.003
 Janus kinases inhibitor−1498.6 (784.2)0.056−1755.7 (813)0.031
 Ustekinumab, secukinumab, tocilizumab1919.8 (596)0.0011962.6 (602.8)0.001
 Abatacept−1054.8 (1137.3)0.354−1886.4 (1200.6)0.116
 Other‡3335.2 (1322.8)0.0123306.2 (1320.3)0.012
Vaccine
 BNT162b2(reference)(reference)
 mRNA-12732221.6 (366.5)<0.0012212.3 (366)<0.001
 Combination of vaccines§1737.9 (302.9)<0.0011705.3 (303)<0.001
  • Univariate associations with antibody level after third vaccination (BAU/mL), and estimated total effects from posited causal associations.

  • Total effect estimates based on posited causal model (online supplemental figure 4). Total effect of D estimated by model adjusting for M and G, denoted D|M, G; similarly: M|A, G, D; P|A, D, G, M; V|A, G; T|A, G; A|none; G|none; L|A, D, G, M. Here D=Diagnosis, M=Medication; p=Pause; V=Vaccine; T=Time between dose 2 and 3; A=Age; G=Gender; L=Antibody level after dose 2. All analyses were adjusted for time between vaccination and blood sampling.

  • *Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab, certolizumab pegol.

  • †Combination therapy: tumour necrosis factor inhibitor in combination with either methotrexate, sulfasalazine, leflunomide or azathioprine.

  • ‡Drugs with less than 10 patients included: sulfasalazine, leflunomide, azathioprine, risankizumab, prednisolone monotherapy.

  • §Combination of the following vaccines: ChAdOx1, BNT162b2, mRNA-1273.