Head-to-Head Comparison of Response Rates to the Two mRNA SARS-CοV-2 Vaccines in a Large Cohort of Solid Organ Transplant (SOT) Recipients
Smaragdi Marinaki,
Dimitrios Degiannis,
Sotirios Roussos,
Efstathios Xagas,
Paraskevi Tsoutsoura,
Stamatis Adamopoulos,
Vana Sypsa,
Antigoni Chaidaroglou,
Ioanna D. Pavlopoulou,
Angelos Hatzakis,
Ioannis N. Boletis
Affiliations
Smaragdi Marinaki
Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
Dimitrios Degiannis
Molecular Immunopathology and Histocompatibility Unit, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 17674 Athens, Greece
Sotirios Roussos
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology & Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Efstathios Xagas
Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
Paraskevi Tsoutsoura
Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
Stamatis Adamopoulos
Heart Failure and Transplant Units, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 17674 Athens, Greece
Vana Sypsa
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology & Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Antigoni Chaidaroglou
Molecular Immunopathology and Histocompatibility Unit, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 17674 Athens, Greece
Ioanna D. Pavlopoulou
Pediatric Research Laboratory, Faculty of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Angelos Hatzakis
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology & Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Ioannis N. Boletis
Clinic of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University, 11527 Athens, Greece
Due to their higher risk of developing life-threatening COVID-19 disease, solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients have been prioritized in the vaccination programs of many countries. However, there is increasing evidence of reduced immunogenicity to SARS-CοV-2 vaccination. The present study investigated humoral response, safety, and effectiveness after the two mRNA vaccines in 455 SOT recipients. Overall, the antibody response rate was low, at 39.6%. Higher immunogenicity was detected among individuals vaccinated with the mRNA1273 compared to those with the BNT162b2 vaccine (47% vs. 36%, respectively, p = 0.025) as well as higher median antibody levels of 31 (7, 372) (AU/mL) vs. 11 (7, 215) AU/mL, respectively. Among the covariates assessed, vaccination with the BNT162b2 vaccine, antimetabolite- and steroid-containing immunosuppression, female gender, the type of transplanted organ and older age were factors that negatively influenced immune response. Only mild adverse effects were observed. Our findings confirm poor immunogenicity after vaccination, implicating a reevaluation of vaccination policy in SOT recipients.
