Impaired humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine in kidney transplant recipients and dialysis patients.

Abstract

Patients with kidney failure are at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection making effective vaccinations a critical need. It is not known how well mRNA vaccines induce B and plasma cell responses in dialysis patients (DP) or kidney transplant recipients (KTR) compared to healthy controls (HC). We studied humoral and B cell responses of 35 HC, 44 DP and 40 KTR. Markedly impaired anti-BNT162b2 responses were identified among KTR and DP compared to HC. In DP, the response was delayed (3-4 weeks after boost) and reduced with anti-S1 IgG and IgA positivity in 70.5% and 68.2%, respectively. In contrast, KTR did not develop IgG responses except one patient who had a prior unrecognized infection and developed anti-S1 IgG. The majority of antigen-specific B cells (RBD+) were identified in the plasmablast or post-switch memory B cell compartments in HC, whereas RBD+ B cells were enriched among pre-switch and naïve B cells from DP and KTR. The frequency and absolute number of antigen-specific circulating plasmablasts in the cohort correlated with the Ig response, a characteristic not reported for other vaccinations. In conclusion, these data indicated that immunosuppression resulted in impaired protective immunity after mRNA vaccination, including Ig induction with corresponding generation of plasmablasts and memory B cells. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve vaccination protocols in patients after kidney transplantation or on chronic dialysis.

• Authors: Hector Rincon-Arevalo, Mira Choi, Ana-Luisa Stefanski, Fabian Halleck, Ulrike Weber, Franziska Szelinski, Bernd Jahrsdörfer, Hubert Schrezenmeier, Carolin Ludwig, Arne Sattler, Katja Kotsch, Alexander Potekhin, Yidan Chen, Gerd R Burmester, Kai-Uwe Eckardt, Gabriela Maria Guerra, Pawel Durek, Frederik Heinrich, Marta Ferreira-Gomes, Andreas Radbruch, Klemens Budde, Andreia C Lino, Mir-Farzin Mashreghi, Eva Schrezenmeier, Thomas Dörner
• Journal: Science immunology (Sci Immunol) Vol. 6 Issue 60 (06 15 2021) ISSN: 2470-9468 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34131023 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Viral
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• BNT162 Vaccine

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Antibodies, Viral (blood, immunology)
• BNT162 Vaccine
• COVID-19 (immunology, prevention & control)
• COVID-19 Vaccines (immunology)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunity, Humoral (drug effects, immunology)
• Immunocompromised Host
• Kidney Transplantation
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Renal Dialysis
• SARS-CoV-2
• Transplant Recipients