Kidney Week

Abstract: PO0135

Anti-Spike Antibody Responses in Hemodialyzed Patients Vaccinated with Anti-COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine

Session Information

• COVID-19: Vaccines, Diagnosis, and Treatment
  November 04, 2021 | Location: On-Demand, Virtual Only
  Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Category: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• 000 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Authors

• Godinho, Iolanda, Davita Óbidos, Óbidos, Portugal

Iolanda Godinho, MD

• Abrantes, Ana rita, Davita Óbidos, Óbidos, Portugal

Ana rita Abrantes,

• Bergman, Marie-Louise Lisa, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Marie-Louise Lisa Bergman,

• Gonçalves, Lígia Antunes, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Lígia Antunes Gonçalves,

• Duarte, Nádia, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Nádia Duarte,

• Borges, Patricia C., Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Patricia C. Borges,

• Brennand, Ana, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Ana Brennand,

• Malheiro, Vanessa Costa, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Vanessa Costa Malheiro,

• Matoso, Paula G., Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Paula G. Matoso,

• Akpogheneta, Onome, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Onome Akpogheneta,

• Demengeot, Jocelyne, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Jocelyne Demengeot,

• Penha-Gonçalves, Carlos, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, Oeiras, Portugal

Carlos Penha-Gonçalves,

• Marques, Marco Alexandre, Affidea Portugal, Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

Marco Alexandre Marques,

• Nogueira, Estela, Davita Óbidos, Óbidos, Portugal

Estela Nogueira,

• Cruz, Pedro Azevedo, Davita Óbidos, Óbidos, Portugal

Pedro Azevedo Cruz,

• Weigert, Andre L., Davita Óbidos, Óbidos, Portugal

Andre L. Weigert,

Background

Patients under hemodialysis are at higher risk of developing severe complications upon SARS-CoV-2 infection and were prioritized in the Portuguese vaccination campaign.

Methods

We performed a longitudinal analysis of antibody responses upon vaccination with BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech, Comirnaty) in a cohort of 156 hemodialyzed patients. Direct ELISA was used to quantify IgG, IgM and IgA anti-full-length Spike antibody levels against calibrated sera from naturally infected patients at three points: day of the first vaccine dose (t0); 3 weeks later (day of the second dose, t1), and 3 weeks after the second inoculation (t2) for 143/156 patients. Anti-n was also measured in t0 and patients anti-n positive were excluded.

Results

We observed that 90.9% of the patients developed anti-spike IgG antibodies after the second vaccine dose (t2). Seroconversion was remarkably low at t1 after the first vaccine dose with only 29.4% of patients developing anti-spike IgG antibodies. In addition to positivity, the second vaccine dose markedly increased IgG antibody levels. IgA levels were also higher at t2 with 83.9% of the patients achieving positivity while IgM positivity only reached 29.4%. Age showed a significant negative effect on the humoral response at t2 for anti-Spike IgG and for IgM, particularly over 60 years.
Further analysis revealed that nine patients under immunosuppression therapies showed significantly lower humoral response along the vaccine schedule (p=0.005 at t1; p=0.008 at t2). Interestingly, the inability to develop anti-HBs antibodies upon hepatitis B vaccination frequently found in hemodialyzed patients was not correlated with lack of responsiveness to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Conclusion

The large majority hemodialyzed patients showed a significant humoral response to BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination, but a sizable proportion of patients showed low antibody levels when compared to responses in the general population (medRxiv 2021.03.19.21253680).