Humoral and Cellular Immunity Are Significantly Affected in Renal Transplant Recipients, following Vaccination with BNT162b2
Author:
Fylaktou Asimina1, Stai Stamatia23, Kasimatis Efstratios2ORCID, Xochelli Aliki1, Nikolaidou Vasiliki1, Papadopoulou Anastasia4, Myserlis Grigorios5, Lioulios Georgios23, Asouchidou Despoina1, Giannaki Maria4, Yannaki Evangelia4, Tsoulfas Georgios35ORCID, Papagianni Aikaterini23, Stangou Maria23ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Department of Immunology, National Histocompatibility Center, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece 2. Department of Nephrology, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece 3. School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece 4. Hematology Department-Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit, Gene and Cell Therapy Center, “George Papanikolaou” Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece 5. Department of Transplant Surgery, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract
Background. Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) tend to mount weaker immune responses to vaccinations, including vaccines against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods. Humoral immunity was assessed using anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb) serum levels measured by ELISA, and cellular immunity was assessed using T-, B-, NK, natural killer-like T (NKT)-cell subpopulations, and monocytes measured by flow cytometry, and also specific T-cell immunity, at predefined time points after BNT162b2 vaccination, in 57 adult RTRs. Results. Administration of three booster doses was necessary to achieve anti-RBD and NAb protective levels in almost all patients (92.98%). Ab production, at several time points, was positively correlated with the corresponding renal function and inversely correlated with hemodialysis vintage (HDV) and treatment with mycophenolic acid (MPA). A gradual rise in several cell subpopulations, including total lymphocytes (p = 0.026), memory B cells (p = 0.028), activated CD4 (p = 0.005), and CD8 cells (p = 0.001), was observed even after the third vaccination dose, while a significant reduction in CD3+PD1+ (p = 0.002), NKT (p = 0.011), and activated NKT cells (p = 0.034) was noted during the same time interval. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells were present in 41% of the patients who were unable to develop Nabs, and their positivity rates four months after the second dose were in inverse correlation with monocytes (p = 0.045) and NKT cells (p = 0.01). Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses preceded the humoral ones, while two booster doses were needed for this group of immunocompromised patients to mount a protective immune response.
Funder
Hellenic Society of Immunology
Subject
Pharmacology (medical),Infectious Diseases,Drug Discovery,Pharmacology,Immunology
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