Risk Factors Associated With an Impaired Antibody Response in Kidney Transplant Recipients Following 2 Doses of the SARS-CoV-2 MRNA Vaccine

Overview

Journal Transplant Direct

Publisher Wolters Kluwer

Specialty General Surgery

Date 2021 Dec 16

PMID 34912946

Citations 9

Authors

Stephanie G Yi

Linda W Moore

Todd Eagar

Edward A Graviss

Duc T Nguyen

Hassan Ibrahim

Howard J Huang

Mark Hobeika

Robert McMillan

Ashish Saharia

Constance Mobley

Hemangshu Podder

Ashley Drews

R Mark Ghobrial

A Osama Gaber

Richard J Knight

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Data about vaccine efficacy in solid organ transplant patients are limited. We previously reported our initial observation of a 6.2% immunogenicity rate in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) after administration of 1 dose of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccine. We sought to report our observations of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in KTRs after 2 doses of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

Methods: We identified 105 KTRs who received 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine per availability and had anti-SARS-CoV-2 labs obtained at least 2 wk following administration of the second dose. Antibody testing was performed using 3 clinically validated qualitative and semiquantitative assays.

Results: KTRs had a 36.2% antibody response rate, whereas an age ≥68 years and a longer time from transplant were factors associated with antibody response.

Conclusions: The low antibody response in KTRs may be associated with the immunosuppressive state. More data are needed to evaluate if KTRs may require higher vaccine doses or an additional booster dose to increase their ability to mount an immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Citing Articles

Impact of immunosuppressive regimens on antibody response after COVID-19 vaccination among Thai kidney transplant recipients.

Larpparisuth N, Pongsakornkullachart K, Ratchawang N, Vongwiwatana A, Skulratanasak P Heliyon. 2025; 11(3):e42291.

PMID: 39931482 PMC: 11808495. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42291.

Bringing optimised COVID-19 vaccine schedules to immunocompromised populations (BOOST-IC): study protocol for an adaptive randomised controlled clinical trial.

Griffin D, Dymock M, Wong G, Morrissey C, Lewin S, Cheng A Trials. 2024; 25(1):485.

PMID: 39020446 PMC: 11253462. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08315-2.

Factors That Predict a Sustained Humoral Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Pommerolle P, Laurent P, Presne C, Brazier F, Jaureguy M, Poulain C Adv Ther. 2023; 40(9):3956-3970.

PMID: 37392339 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-023-02580-4.

Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Korea.

Song S, Chung K, Jee Y, Chung H, Kim K, Minn D J Korean Med Sci. 2023; 38(5):e22.

PMID: 36747360 PMC: 9902664. DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e22.

A systematic review assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in chronic kidney disease (CKD) individuals.

Malik S, Modarage K, Goggolidou P F1000Res. 2022; 11:909.

PMID: 36531259 PMC: 9732501. DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.122820.2.

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