Pre-Existing Comorbidities Diminish the Likelihood of Seropositivity after SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination
Alok R. Amraotkar,
Adrienne M. Bushau-Sprinkle,
Rachel J. Keith,
Krystal T. Hamorsky,
Kenneth E. Palmer,
Hong Gao,
Shesh N. Rai,
Aruni Bhatnagar
Affiliations
Alok R. Amraotkar
Division of Environmental Medicine, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Adrienne M. Bushau-Sprinkle
Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Rachel J. Keith
Division of Environmental Medicine, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Krystal T. Hamorsky
Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Kenneth E. Palmer
Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Hong Gao
Division of Environmental Medicine, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Shesh N. Rai
Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Aruni Bhatnagar
Division of Environmental Medicine, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Background: The impact of chronic health conditions (CHCs) on serostatus post-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination is unknown. Methods: We assessed serostatus post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among fully vaccinated adult residents of Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA, from April 2021 to August 2021. Serostatus was determined by qualitative analysis of SARS-CoV-2-specific Spike IgG antibodies via enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) in peripheral blood samples. Results: Of the 5178 fully vaccinated participants, 51 were seronegative and 5127 were seropositive. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and autoimmune disease showed the highest association with negative serostatus in fully vaccinated individuals. The absence of any CHC was strongly associated with positive serostatus. The risk of negative serostatus increased as the total number of pre-existing CHCs increased. Similarly, the use of two or more CHC-related medications was associated with seronegative status. Conclusions: The presence of any CHC, especially CKD or autoimmune disease, increased the likelihood of seronegative status among individuals who were fully vaccinated to SAR-CoV-2. This risk increased with a concurrent increase in number of comorbidities, especially with multiple medications. The absence of any CHC was protective and increased the likelihood of a positive serological response. These results will help develop appropriate guidelines for booster doses and targeted vaccination programs.
