Abstract
Background
Humoral response against sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after two doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) has been proven to be less intense in ...maintenance dialysis patients as compared with healthy subjects, leading the French authorities to recommend a third injection in this population. Here we investigated the response to the third injection in two cohorts of haemodialysis (HD) patients.
Methods
Data from two prospective observational cohorts were collected. In the first (‘systematic’) cohort, patients from two HD centres (n = 66) received a third injection of BNT162b2, regardless of the response after two injections. In the second (‘conditional’) cohort, the injection was only prescribed to patients (n = 34) with no or low response to the previous two doses. In both cohorts, the third dose was injected 1–2 months after the second dose. Serology was performed after the second and third doses to assess anti-Spike immunoglobulin G (S IgG) antibody titre.
Results
In the systematic cohort, anti-S IgG was found in 83.3 and 92.4% of patients after the second and third doses of BNT162b2, respectively. In this cohort, 6/11 (54.5%) and 20/21 (95.2%) patients switched from non-responder to low responder and from low responder to high responder, respectively. In low and high responders to two doses, 50/55 (90.9%) at least doubled their anti-S IgG titre. Similar trends were observed in the conditional cohort.
Conclusions
In maintenance HD patients, humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 was boosted after a third dose of BNT162b2, allowing seroconversion in more than half of non-responders. These data may support an intensified vaccination protocol with a third dose of BNT162b2 in dialysis patients.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Abstract Background and Aims ANCA-associated vasculitis with glomerulonephritis (AAV-GN) can lead to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), requiring replacement therapy with dialysis or kidney transplant ...(KT). Few large studies evaluated the outcome of these patients after KT. Our aim was to describe, in comparison with a control group, the occurrence of the following events: delayed graft function recovery, graft survival, relapse, acute rejection, overall survival; and to study the risk factors associated with these events. Method This was a retrospective, multicenter (6 French centers), observational study including patients who received a KT between 2005 and 2023 for ESKD secondary to AAV-GN. Each vasculitis case receiving a KT was matched with 2 controls, matched on gender, center, recipient age (±5 years) and transplant period (±1 year). Event-free survival and the associated risk factors were analyzed. Results 369 patients were included, including 123 with AAV-GN and 246 control patients. The median post-KT follow-up for all patients was 58 months. There was no difference in the occurrence of DGF between the groups (18 vs 17%, p = 0.9). In univariable analysis, graft survival was lower in the AAV-GN group compared to the controls (76% vs 81% at 10 years, p = 0.017) (Fig 1A). 10 patients experienced a relapse after KT. ANCA positivity at the time of transplantation appeared to be correlated with relapse. There was no difference in the incidence of acute rejection between the groups (p = 0.44). In univariable analysis, overall survival tended to be lower in AAV-GN patients compared to controls (62% vs 73% at 10 years, p = 0.084) (Fig. 1B). Conclusion Kidney transplantation is an interesting option for patients with AAV-GN: the relapse rate is low, and the occurrence of acute rejection is comparable to a population of control patients. However, in AAV-GN, graft survival and overall survival appear to be poorer than in control patients. Comparison with a matched AAV-GN population remaining on dialysis would be of interest to go further.
Abstract Background and Aims Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease-associated glomerulonephritis (anti-GBM-GN) can lead to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), requiring replacement therapy ...with dialysis or kidney transplant (KT). Few studies evaluated the outcome of these patients after KT. Our aim was to describe, in comparison with a control group, the occurrence of the following events: delayed graft function recovery, graft survival, relapse, acute rejection, overall survival; and to study the risk factors associated with these events. Method This was a retrospective, multicenter (6 French centers), observational study including patients who received a KT between 2005 and 2023 for ESKD secondary to anti-GBM-GN. Each vasculitis case receiving a KT was matched with 2 controls, matched on gender, center, recipient age (±5 years) and transplant period (±1 year). Event-free survival and the associated risk factors were analyzed. Results 126 patients were included, including 42 with anti-GBM-GN and 84 control patients. The median post-KT follow-up for vasculitis patients was 95 months. There was no difference in the occurrence of DGF between the groups (24 vs 18%, p = 0.5). There was no difference in graft survival when comparing both groups (78% vs 82% at 10 years, p = 0.48) (Fig. 1A). Only one patient experienced a relapse after KT (being anti-GBM negative at the time of transplantation). There was no difference in the incidence of acute rejection between the groups (p = 0.82). There was no difference in overall survival when comparing both groups (83% vs 89% at 10 years, p = 0.76) (Fig. 1B). Conclusion Kidney transplantation is an interesting option for patients with anti-GBM-GN: outcomes are similar to those of a matched population with similar occurrence of acute rejection, graft loss or death. Moreover, relapse rate is low. Comparison with a matched anti-GBM-GN population remaining on dialysis would be of interest to go further.
Abstract Background Humoral response against sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after two doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) has been proven to be less intense in ...maintenance dialysis patients as compared with healthy subjects, leading the French authorities to recommend a third injection in this population. Here we investigated the response to the third injection in two cohorts of haemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods Data from two prospective observational cohorts were collected. In the first (‘systematic’) cohort, patients from two HD centres (n = 66) received a third injection of BNT162b2, regardless of the response after two injections. In the second (‘conditional’) cohort, the injection was only prescribed to patients (n = 34) with no or low response to the previous two doses. In both cohorts, the third dose was injected 1–2 months after the second dose. Serology was performed after the second and third doses to assess anti-Spike immunoglobulin G (S IgG) antibody titre. Results In the systematic cohort, anti-S IgG was found in 83.3 and 92.4% of patients after the second and third doses of BNT162b2, respectively. In this cohort, 6/11 (54.5%) and 20/21 (95.2%) patients switched from non-responder to low responder and from low responder to high responder, respectively. In low and high responders to two doses, 50/55 (90.9%) at least doubled their anti-S IgG titre. Similar trends were observed in the conditional cohort. Conclusions In maintenance HD patients, humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 was boosted after a third dose of BNT162b2, allowing seroconversion in more than half of non-responders. These data may support an intensified vaccination protocol with a third dose of BNT162b2 in dialysis patients.