Correlation between Clinical and Immunological Variables and Humoral Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Adult Patients with Antibody Deficiency Disorders

Abstract

Background: Prophylactic vaccination has proven to be the most effective strategy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study involving 30 predominantly antibody deficiency disorders (ADD)-afflicted adult patients on immunoglobulin replacement therapy vaccinated with three doses of the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine, and 10 healthy controls. Anti-RBD IgG antibodies were determined in plasma samples collected just before the first dose of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine and on weeks 4, 8, 24, and 28 following the first vaccination. Patients were categorized based on the levels of anti-RBD antibodies determined on w8 as non-, low-, and responders. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to see if any variables correlated with humoral response levels. Any adverse effects of the mRNA-based vaccine were also noted.

Results: The COVID-19 vaccine was safe and well-tolerated. The humoral response elicited at w8 after vaccination depended on the type of ADD, the type of immunoglobulin deficiency, the presence of granulomatous lymphocytic interstitial lung disease, recent use of immunosuppressive drugs, and the switched memory B cells counts. The third vaccine dose boosted humoral response in previous responders to second dose but seldom in non-responders.

Conclusions: The humoral response of patients with predominant ADD depends mostly on the type of immunodeficiency and on the frequency of B and T cell populations.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination; COVID-19 vaccination response; GLILD; antibody deficiency disorders; immunosuppressive therapy; primary immunodeficiencies; secondary immunodeficiencies.

Figure 1

Antibody levels in predominantly antibody deficient disorders patients and healthy controls at week 8 categorized as non-responders (NR), low responders (LR) and responders (R).