Research LetterA fourth dose of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine improves serum neutralization against the Delta variant in kidney transplant recipients
Section snippets
Results
Sixty-seven kidney transplant recipients (median age 56.6 years; interquartile range [IQR] 47–64.6 years; n = 41 [61.2%] men) showed a weak humoral response after 3 doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine and received a fourth dose (Supplementary Methods). None of these patients had a history of COVID-19 and displayed anti–nucleocapsid antibodies. The median interval from transplantation to the fourth dose was 6.1 years (IQR 2.2–11.4 years). As for immunosuppressive therapy, 97% of the study patients
Discussion
In this cohort of 67 kidney transplant recipients who showed a low immune response after 3 doses of the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine, a fourth dose significantly increased the neutralizing response against the Delta variant. Specifically, the proportion of patients harboring neutralizing antibodies against the Delta strain rose significantly from 16% to 66%. In our study, men displayed higher neutralizing ID50 titers than did women. Although this observation has no obvious pathophysiological
Disclosure
All the authors declared no competing interests.
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