Hybrid Immunity Protects against Antibody Fading after SARS-CoV-2mRNA Vaccination in Kidney Transplant Recipients, Dialysis Patients, and Medical Personnel: 9 Months Data from the Prospective, Observational Dia-Vacc Study

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Julian Stumpf - , Department of Internal Medicine III, KfH Dialysis Center Dresden (Author)
  • Torsten Siepmann - , Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH (Author)
  • Jörg Schwöbel - , Dialysezentrum Chemnitz, Forststraße 22, 09130 Chemnitz, Germany. (Author)
  • Claudia Karger - , Klinikum St. Georg Leipzig (Author)
  • Tom H Lindner - , University Hospital Leipzig (Author)
  • Robert Faulhaber-Walter - , Nephrologisches Zentrum Freiberg, Franz-Kögler-Ring 135, 09599 Freiberg, Germany. (Author)
  • Torsten Langer - , Dialysezentrum Annaberg, Geyersdorfer Hauptstraße 4, 09456 Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany. (Author)
  • Katja Escher - , KfH-Zentrum Aue-Bad Schlema (Author)
  • Kirsten Anding-Rost - , KfH-Zentrum Bischofswerda (Author)
  • Harald Seidel - , KfH-Zentrum Plauen (Author)
  • Jan Hüther - , Nephrocare GmbH Döbeln, Grimmaische Straße 23, 04720 Döbeln, Germany. (Author)
  • Frank Pistrosch - , Nephrologisches Zentrum Hoyerswerda, Liselotte-Herrmann-Straße 13, 02977 Hoyerswerda, Germany. (Author)
  • Heike Martin - , Nephrologisches Zentrum Zwickau, Hilfegottesschachtstraße 3, 08056 Zwickau, Germany. (Author)
  • Jens Schewe - , Dialyse- und Nierenambulanz Sebnitz, Götzingerstraße 8, 01855 Sebnitz, Germany. (Author)
  • Thomas Stehr - , KfH-Zentrum Bautzen (Author)
  • Frank Meistring - , Görlitz Clinic (Author)
  • Alexander Paliege - , Department of Internal Medicine III (Author)
  • Daniel Schneider - , Department of Internal Medicine III (Author)
  • Anne Steglich - , Department of Internal Medicine III (Author)
  • Florian Gembardt - , Department of Internal Medicine III (Author)
  • Friederike Kessel - , Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Hannah Kröger - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Department of Internal Medicine 3 (Author)
  • Patrick Arndt - , Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Jan Sradnick - , Department of Internal Medicine III (Author)
  • Kerstin Frank - , Institut für Transfusionsmedizin Plauen, DRK-Blutspendedienst Nord-Ost Gemeinnützige GmbH, Röntgenstraße 2a, 08529 Plauen, Germany. (Author)
  • Anna Klimova - , National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Dresden (Author)
  • René Mauer - , Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry (Author)
  • Ingo Roeder - , Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry (Author)
  • Torsten Tonn - , Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, DRK Blutspendendienst Nord Ost gGmbH (Author)
  • Christian Hugo - , Department of Internal Medicine III, KfH Dialysis Center Dresden (Author)

Abstract

(1) Background: Compared to medical personnel, SARS-CoV-2mRNA vaccination-related positive immunity rates, levels, and preservation over time in dialysis and kidney transplant patients are reduced. We hypothesized that COVID-19 pre-exposure influences both vaccination-dependent immunity development and preservation in a group-dependent manner. (2) Methods: We evaluated 2- and 9-month follow-up data in our observational Dia-Vacc study, exploring specific cellular (interferon-γ release assay = IGRA) and/or humoral immune responses (IgA/IgG/RBD antibodies) after two SARS-CoV-2mRNA vaccinations in 2630 participants, including medical personnel (301-MP), dialysis patients (1841-DP), and kidney transplant recipients (488-KTR). Study participants were also separated into COVID-19 pre-exposure (hybrid immunity) positive (n = 407) versus negative (n = 2223) groups. (3) Results: COVID-19 pre-exposure improved most vaccination-related positive immunity rates in KTR and DP at 2 months but not in MP, where rates reached almost 100% independent of hybrid immunity. In the COVID-19-negative study, patients' immunity faded between two and nine months, evaluated via the percentage of patients with an RBD antibody decrease >50%, and was markedly group- (MP-17.8%, DP-52.2%, and KTR-38.6%) and vaccine type-dependent. In contrast, in all patient groups with COVID-19, pre-exposure RBD antibody decreases of >50% were similarly rare (MP-4.3%, DP-7.2%, and KTR-0%) but still vaccine type-dependent, with numerically reduced numbers in mRNA-1273- versus BNT162b2mRNA-treated patients. Multivariable regression analysis of RBD antibody changes between two and nine months by interval scale categorization confirmed COVID-19 pre-exposure as a factor in inhibiting strong RBD Ab fading. COVID-19 pre-exposure in MP and DP also numerically reduced T-cell immunity fading. In DP, symptomatic (versus asymptomatic) COVID-19 pre-exposure was identified as a factor in reducing strong RBD Ab fading after vaccination. (4) Conclusions: After mRNA vaccination, immunity positivity rates in DP and KTR but not MP, as well as immunity preservation in MP/DP/KTR, are markedly improved via prior COVID-19 infection. In DP, prior symptomatic compared to asymptomatic COVID-19 disease was particularly effective in blocking immunity fading after mRNA vaccination.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number801
JournalVaccines : open access journal
Volume12
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - 19 Jul 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC11281450
Scopus 85199520685
ORCID /0000-0002-1507-8009/work/170586527
ORCID /0000-0003-2739-345X/work/170587350

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals