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Observational Study
. 2022 Mar;29(2):163-167.
doi: 10.1007/s40292-021-00502-5. Epub 2022 Jan 3.

Humoral Immune Response to COVID-19 Vaccination in Hemodialysis Patients: A Retrospective, Observational Case-Control Pilot Study

Luca Piscitani  1 , Rita Del Pinto  2 , Andrea Basili  3 , Marilena Tunno  3 , Claudio Ferri  2
Affiliations
Observational Study

Humoral Immune Response to COVID-19 Vaccination in Hemodialysis Patients: A Retrospective, Observational Case-Control Pilot Study

Luca Piscitani et al. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus 2 disease is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in chronic hemodialysis patients METHODS: A retrospective, observational case-control pilot study was conducted on consecutive hemodialysis outpatients (cases) and control group of individuals with preserved renal function. Complete SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, followed by determination of serum antibodies after the second dose, were required from participants in both groups. Previous COVID-19 was an exclusion criterium.

Results: 21 hemodialysis patients (M:F = 13:8, mean age 67.5 ± 13.4) and 16 controls without chronic kidney disease (M:F = 4:12, mean age 46.8 ± 12.7) were included. Hemodialysis patients had lower mean titers of serum antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen compared with controls (492.39 vs 1901.20 IU/mL, respectively; p < 0.001), a finding that was confirmed in the age-matched analysis on 18 participants (580.8 vs 1836.4 IU/mL, p = 0.006).

Conclusions: This study supports the finding of hyporesponsiveness to mRNA vaccination among hemodialysis patients.

Keywords: Antibody activity; COVID-19; Hemodialysis; mRNA vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declare no conflict of interest

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Boxplots of serum antibodies titers to the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen in cases and controls. Panel A overall analysis. Panel B age-matched analysis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Regression analysis assessing the impact of hemodialysis duration on antibody titers to the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • COVID-19 Vaccination in Hemodialysis Patients Correspondence.
    Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. Mungmunpuntipantip R, et al. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2022 May;29(3):311. doi: 10.1007/s40292-022-00510-z. Epub 2022 Mar 8. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2022. PMID: 35258795 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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