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Multicenter Study
. 2022 May;24(5):849-858.
doi: 10.1111/dom.14643. Epub 2022 Jan 24.

Humoral immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in diabetes is age-dependent but independent of type of diabetes and glycaemic control: The prospective COVAC-DM cohort study

Caren Sourij  1 , Norbert J Tripolt  2 , Faisal Aziz  2 , Felix Aberer  2   3 , Patrick Forstner  4 , Anna M Obermayer  2 , Harald Kojzar  2 , Barbara Kleinhappl  4 , Peter N Pferschy  2   5 , Julia K Mader  6 , Gerhard Cvirn  7 , Nandu Goswami  8 , Nadine Wachsmuth  3 , Max L Eckstein  3 , Alexander Müller  2 , Farah Abbas  2 , Jacqueline Lenz  2 , Michaela Steinberger  2 , Lisa Knoll  2 , Robert Krause  9 , Martin Stradner  10 , Peter Schlenke  11 , Nazanin Sareban  11 , Barbara Prietl  5 , Susanne Kaser  12 , Othmar Moser  2   3 , Ivo Steinmetz  4 , Harald Sourij  2 ; COVAC-DM study group
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Humoral immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in diabetes is age-dependent but independent of type of diabetes and glycaemic control: The prospective COVAC-DM cohort study

Caren Sourij et al. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022 May.

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the seroconversion following first and second COVID-19 vaccination in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in relation to glycaemic control prior to vaccination and to analyse the response in comparison to individuals without diabetes.

Materials and methods: This prospective, multicentre cohort study analysed people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and a glycated haemoglobin level ≤58 mmol/mol (7.5%) or >58 mmol/mol (7.5%), respectively, and healthy controls. Roche's Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay targeting the receptor-binding domain was used to quantify anti-spike protein antibodies 7 to 14 days after the first and 14 to 21 days after the second vaccination.

Results: A total of 86 healthy controls were enrolled in the study, as well as 161 participants with diabetes, of whom 150 (75 with type 1 diabetes and 75 with type 2 diabetes) were eligible for the analysis. After the first vaccination, only 52.7% of participants in the type 1 diabetes group and 48.0% of those in the type 2 diabetes group showed antibody levels above the cut-off for positivity. Antibody levels after the second vaccination were similar in participants with type 1 diabetes, participants with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls after adjusting for age, sex and multiple testing (P > 0.05). Age (r = -0.45, P < 0.001) and glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.28, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with antibody response.

Conclusions: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S receptor-binding domain antibody levels after the second vaccination were comparable in healthy controls and in participants with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, irrespective of glycaemic control. Age and renal function correlated significantly with the extent of antibody levels.

Keywords: COVID-19; observational study; type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Side effects after vaccination, overall and by type of diabetes: A, after vaccination 1 and B, after vaccination 2. T1DM, type 1 diabetes; T2DM, type 2 diabetes
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
A, Comparison of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐S antibodies between participants with diabetes and healthy controls after the second vaccination. B, Comparison of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐S antibodies in people with type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level of ≤58 mmol/mol or >58 mmol/mol, respectively. P values are adjusted for age and sex using quantile regression and for multiple comparison using Bonferroni correction
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Correlation plots for selected clinical characteristics. eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin; r, Pearson's correlation coefficient. P values are for Pearson's correlation
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