Patients receiving maintenance dialysis (MD) are vulnerable to COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality. Currently, data on SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular and humoral immunity post-vaccination in this population are scarce. We conducted a prospective single-center study exploring the specific cellular (interferon-γ and interleukin-2 ELISpot assays) and humoral immune responses (dot plot array and chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay [CMIA]) at 4 weeks and 6 weeks following a single dose or a complete homologous dual dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine regimen in 60 MD patients (six with a history of COVID-19). Our results show that MD patients exhibit a high seroconversion rate (91.7%) but the anti-spike IgG antibodies (CMIA) tend to wane rapidly after full immunization. Only 51.7% of the patients developed T cell immune response. High anti-spike IgG antibodies may predict a better cellular immunity. While patients with prior COVID-19 showed the best response after one, SARS-CoV-2-naïve patients may benefit from a third vaccine injection.
- Karakizlis, H.
- Nahrgang, C.
- Strecker, K.
- Chen, J.
- Aly, M.
- Slanina, H.
- Schüttler, C. G.
- Esso, I.
- Wolter, M.
- Todorova, D.
- Jessen, S.
- Adamik, A.
- Ronco, C.
- Seeger, W.
- Weimer, R.
- Sester, M.
- Birk, H. W.
- Husain-Syed, F.
Keywords
- Cellular immune response
- Hemodialysis
- Immunoglobulins
- Peritoneal dialysis
- T cells
