ABSTRACT
Immunocompromised individuals such as patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are at risk of impaired immune responses to vaccination. The objective of our study was to evaluate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific antibody responses in patients with CLL after the first, second, and third doses of the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines and after a single dose for patients with confirmed previous COVID-19. In all, 530 patients were included in the study. Patients received 2 doses at a 4-week interval and a third dose if they were seronegative after the second dose. Response rate was 27% after dose 1 and 52% after dose 2. Post-dose 2 treatment-naïve patients had the highest response rate (72%) followed by patients previously treated by chemoimmunotherapy (60%). Among patients receiving therapy, those receiving Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor alone (22%) or in combination with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies or venetoclax (0%) had the poorer response rate whereas patients who received venetoclax monotherapy achieved a significantly higher response rate (52%). A multivariable analysis identified age older than 65 years, ongoing CLL treatment, and gamma globulin ≤6 g/L as independent predictors of the absence of seroconversion. Post-dose 2 seronegative patients had a global response rate of 35% after dose 3. This study provides an argument for the use of a third dose and for prophylactic SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell , 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273 , Aged , Antibodies, Viral , BNT162 Vaccine , COVID-19 Vaccines , Humans , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy , RNA, Messenger/genetics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
The impact of a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine on antibody responses is unclear in immunocompromised patients. The objective of this retrospective study was to characterize antibody responses induced by a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in 160 kidney transplant recipients and 20 patients treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Prevalence of anti-spike IgG ≥ 7.1 and ≥ 30 BAU/mL after the third dose were 47% (75/160) and 39% (63/160) in kidney transplant recipients, and 57% (29/51) and 50% (10/20) in patients treated for CLL. Longitudinal follow-up identified a moderate increase in SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG levels after a third dose of vaccine in kidney transplant recipients (0.19 vs. 5.28 BAU/mL, p = 0.03) and in patients treated for CLL (0.63 vs. 10.7 BAU/mL, p = 0.0002). This increase in IgG levels had a limited impact on prevalence of anti-spike IgG ≥ 30 BAU/mL in kidney transplant recipients (17%, 2/12 vs. 33%, 4/12, p = 0.64) and in patients treated for CLL (5%, 1/20 vs. 45%, 9/20, p = 0.008). These results highlight the need for vaccination of the general population and the importance of non-medical preventive measures to protect immunocompromised patients.