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Journal article

SARS-COV-2 vaccine responses in renal patient populations

Abstract:
Background
Dialysis patients and immunosuppressed renal patients are at increased risk of COVID-19 and were excluded from vaccine trials. We conducted a prospective multicentre study to assess SARS-CoV-2 vaccine antibody responses in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients, and patients receiving immunosuppression for autoimmune disease.
 
Methods
Patients were recruited from three UK centres (ethics:20/EM/0180) and compared to healthy controls (ethics:17/EE/0025). SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies to spike protein were measured using a multiplex Luminex assay, after first and second doses of Pfizer BioNTech BNT162b2(Pfizer) or Oxford-AstraZeneca ChAdOx1nCoV-19(AZ) vaccine.
 
Results
Six hundred ninety-two patients were included (260 dialysis, 209 transplant, 223 autoimmune disease (prior rituximab 128(57%)) and 144 healthy controls. 299(43%) patients received Pfizer vaccine and 379(55%) received AZ. Following two vaccine doses, positive responses occurred in 96% dialysis, 52% transplant, 70% autoimmune patients and 100% of healthy controls. In dialysis patients, higher antibody responses were observed with the Pfizer vaccination. Predictors of poor antibody response were triple immunosuppression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]0.016;95%CI0.002–0.13;p < 0.001) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (aOR0.2;95%CI 0.1–0.42;p < 0.001) in transplant patients; rituximab within 12 months in autoimmune patients (aOR0.29;95%CI 0.008–0.096;p < 0.001) and patients receiving immunosuppression with eGFR 15-29 ml/min (aOR0.031;95%CI 0.11–0.84;p = 0.021). Lower antibody responses were associated with a higher chance of a breakthrough infection.
 
Conclusions
Amongst dialysis, kidney transplant and autoimmune populations SARS-CoV-2 vaccine antibody responses are reduced compared to healthy controls. A reduced response to vaccination was associated with rituximab, MMF, triple immunosuppression CKD stage 4. Vaccine responses increased after the second dose, suggesting low-responder groups should be prioritised for repeated vaccination. Greater antibody responses were observed with the mRNA Pfizer vaccine compared to adenovirus AZ vaccine in dialysis patients suggesting that Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine should be the preferred vaccine choice in this sub-group.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1186/s12882-022-02792-w

Authors

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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-3643-7605
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-9841-3617
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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-6283-7023


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Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/029chgv08
Grant:
207498/Z/17/Z
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Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/001aqnf71
Grant:
MR/W005611/1
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/03f9wqe45


Publisher:
BioMed Central
Journal:
BMC Nephrology More from this journal
Volume:
23
Issue:
1
Article number:
199
Place of publication:
England
Publication date:
2022-05-31
Acceptance date:
2022-04-11
DOI:
EISSN:
1471-2369
Pmid:
35641961


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1267408
Local pid:
pubs:1267408
Deposit date:
2025-01-14
ARK identifier:

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