Effect of active anticancer therapy on serologic response to SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with urothelial and renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the serologic response to the BNT162b2 messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine in patients with urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: Between June 2021 and November 2021, we retrospectively evaluated blood samples from 60 healthy controls (control group), 57 patients with urothelial carcinoma, and 28 patients with renal cell carcinoma who had received two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine at Hirosaki University Hospital. We determined the immunoglobulin G antibody titers against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike receptor-binding domain. Seropositivity was defined as ≥15 U/mL. We investigate factors associated with antibody titers and seropositivity in the patients with urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma.

Results: Antibody titers in the control, urothelial carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma groups were 813, 431, and 500 U/mL, respectively. Seropositivity was 100%, 90%, and 96% in the control, urothelial carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma groups, respectively. Of the 85 patients, 37 of 57 (65%) and 21 of 28 (75%) were actively undergoing anticancer treatment for urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma, respectively. Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike immunoglobulin G antibody titers and seropositivity was not significantly different between the patients with urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike immunoglobulin G antibody titers were not significantly associated with active anticancer therapy or steroid treatment for immune-related adverse events. Univariable logistic regression analysis revealed that older age and metastatic disease were significantly and negatively associated with seropositivity.

Conclusions: Patients with urothelial carcinoma or renal cell carcinoma exhibited an adequate antibody response to the BNT162b2 vaccine. Active anticancer therapy was not significantly associated with seropositivity following vaccination with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 BNT162b2 in patients with urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; mRNA vaccine; renal cell carcinoma; seropositive; urothelial carcinoma.

Fig. 1

Cross‐sectional evaluation of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG S antibody titers. Plot of the anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG S antibody titers after the first BNT162b2 vaccine dose. Seropositivity was defined as ≥15 U/mL, which was considered to indicate the presence of neutralizing antibodies. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

Fig. 2

Comparison of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG S antibody titers and seropositivity among the Ctrl, UC, and RCC groups. (a) Comparison of antibody titers between patients with UC and RCC. (b) Seropositivity in patients with UC, and patients with RCC. (c) Comparison of antibody titers between patients with nonmetastatic (M0) and metastatic (M1) disease. (d) Seropositivity in patients with M0 and M1 disease. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

Fig. 3

Comparison of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG S antibody titers and seropositivity between patients undergoing active cancer therapy and off‐treatment patients with UC or RCC. (a) Comparison of antibody titers between off‐treatment patients with UC and patients with UC receiving ICIs or systemic chemotherapy. (b) Seropositivity in off‐treatment patients with UC and patients with UC receiving ICIs or systemic chemotherapy. (c) Comparison of antibody titers between off‐treatment patients with RCC and patients with RCC receiving ICIs ± TKIs or TKI therapy. (d) Seropositivity in off‐treatment patients with RCC and patients with RCC receiving therapy with ICIs ± TKIs or TKIs only. (e) Comparison of antibody titers between patients with steroids (−) and steroids (+) in all patients, UC patients, and RCC patients. (f) Seropositivity in patients with steroids (−) and steroids (+). [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]