1. Evaluation of the SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 Vaccine in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
- Author
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Alyson Takaoka, Anne-Claude Gingras, Jerome A. Leis, Michelle A. Hladunewich, Tatjana Sukovic, Kento T. Abe, Sarah I. Mullin, Allison McGeer, Vanessa Tran, Christopher T. Chan, Kevin Yau, Julie Garnham-Takaoka, Ellen Shadowitz, Anny Gonzalez, David Naimark, Sharon E. Straus, Shelly Bolotin, Jeffrey Perl, Keelia Quinn De Launay, Karen Colwill, and Matthew J. Oliver
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Population ,Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic ,Renal Dialysis ,Interquartile range ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Seroconversion ,Prospective cohort study ,education ,Pandemics ,BNT162 Vaccine ,Original Investigation ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,education.field_of_study ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Research ,Mortality rate ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Vaccination ,Online Only ,Nephrology ,Case-Control Studies ,Immunoglobulin G ,Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ,Female ,Hemodialysis ,business ,Kidney disease - Abstract
Key Points Question What is the serologic response to the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in patients undergoing hemodialysis? Findings In this cohort study of 142 patients receiving hemodialysis, humoral response was compared in 66 patients sampled 28 days after receipt of 1 dose of vaccine with 76 patients who received 2 doses of vaccine sampled 14 days after the second dose. Among those receiving 1 dose, 6% had antireceptor binding domain response above the median level of convalescent serum vs 41% of those who received 2 doses at 1 week, increasing to 60% by 2 weeks. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that, given that patients receiving hemodialysis appeared to exhibit a poor humoral response to a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine, the second dose should not be delayed., Importance Patients undergoing hemodialysis have a high mortality rate associated with COVID-19, and this patient population often has a poor response to vaccinations. Randomized clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines included few patients with kidney disease; therefore, vaccine immunogenicity is uncertain in this population. Objective To evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis following 1 vs 2 doses of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination compared with health care workers serving as controls and convalescent serum. Design, Setting, and Participants A prospective, single-center cohort study was conducted between February 2 and April 17, 2021, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Participants included 142 patients receiving in-center hemodialysis and 35 health care worker controls. Exposures BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine. Main Outcomes and Measures SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies to the spike protein (anti-spike), receptor binding domain (anti-RBD), and nucleocapsid protein (anti-NP). Results Among the 142 participants undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, 94 (66%) were men; median age was 72 (interquartile range, 62-79) years. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were measured in 66 patients receiving 1 vaccine dose following a public health policy change, 76 patients receiving 2 vaccine doses, and 35 health care workers receiving 2 vaccine doses. Detectable anti-NP suggestive of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected in 15 of 142 (11%) patients at baseline, and only 3 patients had prior COVID-19 confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing. Two additional patients contracted COVID-19 after receiving 2 doses of vaccine. In 66 patients receiving a single BNT162b2 dose, seroconversion occurred in 53 (80%) for anti-spike and 36 (55%) for anti-RBD by 28 days postdose, but a robust response, defined by reaching the median levels of antibodies in convalescent serum from COVID-19 survivors, was noted in only 15 patients (23%) for anti-spike and 4 (6%) for anti-RBD in convalescent serum from COVID-19 survivors. In patients receiving 2 doses of BNT162b2 vaccine, seroconversion occurred in 69 of 72 (96%) for anti-spike and 63 of 72 (88%) for anti-RBD by 2 weeks following the second dose and median convalescent serum levels were reached in 52 of 72 patients (72%) for anti-spike and 43 of 72 (60%) for anti-RBD. In contrast, all 35 health care workers exceeded the median level of anti-spike and anti-RBD found in convalescent serum 2 to 4 weeks after the second dose. Conclusions and Relevance This study suggests poor immunogenicity 28 days following a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine in the hemodialysis population, supporting adherence to recommended vaccination schedules and avoiding delay of the second dose in these at-risk individuals., This cohort study examines the immune response of patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis to vaccination with 1 vs 2 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine.
- Published
- 2021
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