Preprints with The Lancet is part of SSRN´s First Look, a place where journals identify content of interest prior to publication. Authors have opted in at submission to The Lancet family of journals to post their preprints on Preprints with The Lancet. The usual SSRN checks and a Lancet-specific check for appropriateness and transparency have been applied. Preprints available here are not Lancet publications or necessarily under review with a Lancet journal. These preprints are early stage research papers that have not been peer-reviewed. The findings should not be used for clinical or public health decision making and should not be presented to a lay audience without highlighting that they are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed. For more information on this collaboration, see the comments published in The Lancet about the trial period, and our decision to make this a permanent offering, or visit The Lancet´s FAQ page, and for any feedback please contact preprints@lancet.com.
Antibody and T-Cell Responses 6 Months after Covid-19 mRNA-1273 Vaccination in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, on Dialysis, or Living with a Kidney Transplant
32 Pages Posted: 30 Mar 2022
More...Abstract
Background: The i mmune response to COVID-19 vaccination is inferior in kidney transplant recipients (KTR), and to a lesser extent in patients on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We assessed the immune response 6 months after mRNA-1273 vaccination in kidney patients and compared this to controls.
Methods: 152 participants with CKD stages G4/5 (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73m 2 ), 145 participants on dialysis, 267 KTR, and 181 controls were included. SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1-specific IgG antibodies were measured by fluorescent bead-based multiplex-immunoassay, neutralizing antibodies to ancestral, Delta and Omicron (BA.1) variants by plaque reduction, and T-cell responses by IFN-γ release assay.
Findings: At 6 months after vaccination S1-specific antibodies were detected in 100% of controls, 98.7% of CKD G4/5 patients, 95.1% of dialysis patients, and 56.6% of KTR. These figures were comparable to the response rates at 28 days, but antibody levels waned significantly. Neutralization of the ancestral and Delta variant was detected in most participants, whereas neutralization of Omicron was mostly absent. S-specific T-cell responses were detected 6 months in 75.0% of controls, 69.4% of CKD G4/5 patients, 52.6% of dialysis patients, and 12.9% of KTR. T-cell responses at 6 months were significantly lower than responses at 28 days.
Interpretation: Although seropositivity rates at 6 months were comparable to that at 28 days after vaccination, significantly decreased antibody levels and T-cell responses were observed. The combination of low antibody levels, reduced T-cell responses, and absent neutralization of the newly-emerging variants indicates the need for additional boosts or alternative vaccination strategies in KTR.
Trial Registration: This study was registered with number NCT04741386 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Funding: The Dutch Renal patients COVID-19 VACcination (RECOVAC) study was funded by
the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), project
number: 10430072010002). This organization had no role in the design of the study, data
interpretation, writing of the manuscript nor in the decision to submit the manuscript.
Declaration of Interest: None to declare.
Ethical Approval: Ethical approval was obtained from the Dutch Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO, NL76215.042.21) and the local ethics committees of the participating centers.
Keywords: COVID-19, mRNA-1273, vaccine, chronic kidney disease, kidney transplantation, dialysis, immunogenicity
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation