The impact of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination on antibody response after COVID-19 vaccination
Esther J.M. Taks,
Simone J.C.F.M. Moorlag,
Konstantin Föhse,
Elles Simonetti,
Christa E. van der Gaast-de Jongh,
Cornelis H. van Werkhoven,
Marc J.M. Bonten,
Jaap ten Oever,
Marien I. de Jonge,
Janneke H.H.M. van de Wijgert,
Mihai G. Netea
Affiliations
Esther J.M. Taks
Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Simone J.C.F.M. Moorlag
Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Konstantin Föhse
Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Elles Simonetti
Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Christa E. van der Gaast-de Jongh
Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Cornelis H. van Werkhoven
Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Marc J.M. Bonten
Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Jaap ten Oever
Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Marien I. de Jonge
Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Janneke H.H.M. van de Wijgert
Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Mihai G. Netea
Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department for Immunology and Metabolism, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Germany
Summary: Earlier studies showed that BCG vaccination improves antibody responses of subsequent vaccinations. Similarly, in older volunteers we found an increased IgG receptor-binding domain (RBD) concentration after SARS-CoV-2 infection if they were recently vaccinated with BCG. This study aims to assess the effect of BCG on the serum antibody concentrations induced by COVID-19 vaccination in a population of adults older than 60 years. Serum was collected from 1,555 participants of the BCG-CORONA-ELDERLY trial a year after BCG or placebo, and we analyzed the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations using a fluorescent-microsphere-based multiplex immunoassay. Individuals who received the full primary COVID-19 vaccination series before serum collection and did not test positive for SARS-CoV-2 between inclusion and serum collection were included in analyses (n = 945). We found that BCG vaccination before first COVID-19 vaccine (median 347 days [IQR 329–359]) did not significantly impact the IgG RBD concentration after COVID-19 vaccination in an older European population.
