The present study aimed to evaluate the persistent immunogenicity offered by a third dose of BNT162b2 against Delta and Omicron variants, in nursing home (NH) residents.
In this monocenter ...prospective observational study, anti-spike IgG levels, S1 domain reactive T cell counts, serum neutralizing antibody titers against Delta and Omicron variants were compared before and up to three months after the BNT162b2 booster dose, in NH residents without COVID-19 (COVID-19 naive) or with COVID-19 prior to initial vaccination (COVID-19 recovered).
106 NH residents (median interquartile range age: 86·5 81;91 years) were included. The booster dose induced a high increase of anti-spike antibody levels in all subjects (p < 0.0001) and a mild transient increase of specific T cells. Before the booster dose, Delta neutralization was detected in 19% (n = 8/43) and 88% (n = 37/42) of COVID-19 naive and COVID-19 recovered subjects, respectively. Three months after the booster dose, all NH residents developed and maintained a higher Delta neutralization (p < 0·0001). Before the booster dose, Omicron neutralization was detected in 5% (n = 2/43) and 55% (n = 23/42) of COVID-19 naive and COVID-19 recovered subjects, respectively, and three months after, in 84% and 95%, respectively. Neutralizing titers to Omicron were lower than to Delta in both groups with a 35-fold reduction compared to Delta.
The booster dose restores high neutralization titers against Delta in all NH residents, and at a lower level against Omicron in a large majority of participants. Future studies are warranted to assess if repeated BNT162b2 booster doses or new specific vaccines might be considered for protecting such fragile patients against Omicron and/or future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
French government through the Programme Investissement d'Avenir (I-SITE ULNE/ANR-16-IDEX-0004 ULNE) and the Label of COVID-19 National Research Priority (National Steering Committee on Therapeutic Trials and Other COVID-19 Research, CAPNET).
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
Present mass vaccination against Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is the most widely used health policy and the most promising approach to curb the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ...(SARS-CoV-2) pandemic globally. However, new side effects are emerging from the mass vaccination not described during the experimental stages. In the present study, we discuss a case of acute corneal graft rejection, which has occurred 25 years after transplantation and 13 days after the administration of the BNT162b2 vaccine (Comirnaty, BioNTech/Pfizer), which was followed-up for a period of six months. In this period, the corneal inflammation appeared twice but was successfully managed with topical therapy and supplementation of Vitamin D. A risk of corneal graft rejection must be included in the list of potential vaccine complications, in order to inform the transplanted patient to undergo a preliminary and a follow-up ocular examination, and eventually to include corneal graft in the list of contraindications to vaccination.
Summary
Patients receiving targeted cancer treatments such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been classified in the clinically extremely vulnerable group to develop severe acute respiratory ...syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), including patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) taking TKIs. In addition, concerns that immunocompromised individuals with solid and haematological malignancies may not mount an adequate immune response to a single dose of SARS‐CoV‐2 BNT162b2 (Pfizer‐BioNTech) vaccine have been raised. In the present study, we evaluated humoral and cellular immune responses after a first injection of BNT162b2 vaccine in 16 patients with CML. Seroconversion and cellular immune response before and after vaccination were assessed. By day 21 after vaccination, anti‐Spike immunoglobulin G was detected in 14/16 (87·5%) of the patients with CML and all developed a neutralising antibody response serum dilution that inhibits 50% infection (ID50) >50, including medium (ID50 of 200–500) or high (ID50 of 501–2000) neutralising antibodies titres in nine of the 16 (56·25%) patients. T‐cell response was seen in 14/15 (93·3%) evaluable patients, with polyfunctional responses seen in 12/15 (80%) patients (polyfunctional CD4+ response nine of 15, polyfunctional CD8+ T‐cell response nine of 15). These data demonstrate the immunogenicity of a single dose of SARS‐CoV‐2 BNT162b2 vaccine in most patients with CML, with both neutralising antibodies and polyfunctional T‐cell responses seen in contrast to patients with solid tumour or lymphoid haematological malignancies.
Background
Safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 are critical for preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but little is known about the humoral immune response more than 9 months after ...vaccination. We aimed to assess the humoral immune response after the first, second, and third (booster) doses of BNT162b2 vaccine in SARS-CoV-2 naïve and previously infected healthcare professionals (HCP) and the humoral immune response after infection in vaccinated HCP.
Methods
We measured anti-spike (anti-S) and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies at different time points up to 12 months in the sera of 300 HCP who had received two or three doses of BNT162b2 vaccine. Mixed-model analyses were used to assess anti-S antibody dynamics and to determine their predictors (age, sex, BMI, and previous infection).
Results
Naïve individuals had statistically lower anti-S antibody concentrations after the first dose (median 253 BAU/ml) than previously infected individuals (median 3648 BAU/ml). After the second dose, anti-S antibody concentrations increased in naïve individuals (median 3216 BAU/ml), whereas the second dose did not significantly increase concentrations in previously infected individuals (median 4503 BAU/ml). The third dose resulted in an additional increase in concentrations (median 4844 BAU/ml in naïve and median 5845 BAU/ml in previously infected individuals). Anti-S antibody concentrations steadily decreased after the second dose and after the third dose in naïve and previously infected individuals. In addition, we found that age had an effect on the humoral immune response. Younger individuals had higher anti-S antibody concentrations after the first and second doses. After infection with the new variant Omicron, a further increase in anti-S antibody concentrations to a median value of 4794 BAU/ml was observed in three times vaccinated HCP whose anti-S antibody concentrations were relatively high before infection (median 2141 BAU/ml). Our study also showed that individuals with systemic adverse events achieved higher anti-S antibody concentrations.
Conclusion
In this study, significant differences in humoral immune responses to BNT162b2 vaccine were observed between naïve and previously infected individuals, with age playing an important role, suggesting that a modified vaccination schedule should be practiced in previously infected individuals. In addition, we showed that the high anti-S antibodies were not protective against new variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Background
In December 2020 the Israeli Health Ministry began a mass vaccination campaign with the BNT162b2 vaccine. This was an important step in overcoming the severe acute respiratory syndrome ...corona virus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic. Autoimmune phenomenon have been described after receiving vaccinations.
Patients/Methods
Here we describe a case series of patients who developed acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a rare autoimmune disease, within several days of receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine.
Conclusions
A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) activity should be evaluated in patients with history of aTTP before and after any vaccination, especially the SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination, and immunosuppression treatment should be considered before vaccination in cases of low ADAMTS13 activity. Patients should be closely monitored after the vaccine for clinical situation and laboratory data. Post vaccination thrombocytopenia assessment should include immune thrombocytopenic purpura, vaccine‐induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia and acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Purpose
To report three cases of ocular myositis and scleritis, bilateral scleritis and unilateral single muscle myositis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.
Methods
Case series of three patients who ...presented to the Orbit Outpatient Service of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli with a history of unilateral proptosis, diplopia and pain, bilateral red eye and pain during eye movements and unilateral proptosis and inconstant diplopia respectively with onset 5–10 days after m-RNA COVID-19 vaccine. A thorough hematologic work up and orbital contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with proptosis was performed.
Results
Patients were females, 64, 58 and 45 years old respectively. MRI showed enlargement of all right rectus muscles, with both muscle belly and insertion involvement in the first case associated to right scleritis. A bilateral scleritis was diagnosed in the second patient and a single muscle myositis in the third patient. Serological tests excluded thyroid diseases. The first and second patient were treated respectively with oral and topical glucorticoids with a complete clinical response. Two 2 cycles of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were administered to the third patient with a partial response.
Conclusion
As far as we know these are the first report of orbital myositis and scleritis presenting after mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) and mRNA-1273-(Moderna) vaccine, an uncommon effect of a likely autoimmune reaction triggered by the virus antigen.
Background Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has caused a still evolving global pandemic. Given the worldwide vaccination campaign, the understanding of the vaccine-induced ...versus COVID-19-induced immunity will contribute to adjusting vaccine dosing strategies and speeding-up vaccination efforts. Methods Anti-spike-RBD IgGs and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) titers were measured in BNT162b2 mRNA vaccinated participants (n = 250); we also investigated humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated individuals (n = 21) of this cohort 5 months post-vaccination and assayed NAbs levels in COVID-19 hospitalized patients (n = 60) with moderate or severe disease, as well as in COVID-19 recovered patients (n = 34). Results We found that one (boosting) dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine triggers robust immune (i.e., anti-spike-RBD IgGs and NAbs) responses in COVID-19 convalescent healthy recipients, while naïve recipients require both priming and boosting shots to acquire high antibody titers. Severe COVID-19 triggers an earlier and more intense (versus moderate disease) immune response in hospitalized patients; in all cases, however, antibody titers remain at high levels in COVID-19 recovered patients. Although virus infection promotes an earlier and more intense, versus priming vaccination, immune response, boosting vaccination induces antibody titers significantly higher and likely more durable versus COVID-19. In support, high anti-spike-RBD IgGs/NAbs titers along with spike (vaccine encoded antigen) specific T cell clones were found in the serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively, of vaccinated individuals 5 months post-vaccination. Conclusions These findings support vaccination efficacy, also suggesting that vaccination likely offers more protection than natural infection. Graphical abstract Keywords: Anti-S-RBD IgGs, BNT162b2 vaccine, COVID-19, Neutralizing antibodies, SARS-CoV-2, Viral infection
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
With the advent of COVID-19 vaccines, hospitalization rates and progression to severe COVID-19 disease have reduced drastically. Most of the adverse events reported by the vaccine recipients were ...minor. However, autoimmune hematological complications such as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and TTP have also been reported post-COVID-19 vaccination. Given this, we sought to reflect on the existing cases of TTP, whether de novo or relapsing, reported after COVID-19 vaccination to further gain insight into any association, if present, and outcomes.
We searched PubMed, Embase, and Ebsco databases for published individual case reports on the occurrence or relapse of TTP after receiving any COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 23 articles (27 patients) were included in this qualitative analysis.
The mean age for the patients who developed de novo TTP post-COVID-19 vaccination was 51.3 years. TTP episodes were seen mostly after BNT162b2 vaccine, followed by mRNA-1273 vaccine. All patients with immune TTP except one received plasma exchange (PLEX) and steroids. One patient passed away after two days of hospitalization, likely due to a sudden cardiovascular event.
Our review underscores the importance of in-depth anamnesis before vaccination and outlines characteristics of predisposed individuals. Evaluation of post-vaccine thrombocytopenia must include the possibility of TTP given the associated fatality with this condition.
High vaccine reactogenicities may reflect stronger immune responses, but the epidemiological evidence for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is sparse and inconsistent. We observed that a ...fever of ≥38℃ after two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine was associated with higher severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike IgG titers.