Frontiers in Immunology (Dec 2022)

Predictive model for BNT162b2 vaccine response in cancer patients based on blood cytokines and growth factors

  • Angelina Konnova,
  • Angelina Konnova,
  • Fien H. R. De Winter,
  • Akshita Gupta,
  • Akshita Gupta,
  • Lise Verbruggen,
  • An Hotterbeekx,
  • Matilda Berkell,
  • Matilda Berkell,
  • Laure-Anne Teuwen,
  • Greetje Vanhoutte,
  • Greetje Vanhoutte,
  • Bart Peeters,
  • Silke Raats,
  • Isolde Van der Massen,
  • Sven De Keersmaecker,
  • Yana Debie,
  • Yana Debie,
  • Manon Huizing,
  • Pieter Pannus,
  • Kristof Y. Neven,
  • Kristof Y. Neven,
  • Kristof Y. Neven,
  • Kevin K. Ariën,
  • Kevin K. Ariën,
  • Geert A. Martens,
  • Marc Van Den Bulcke,
  • Ella Roelant,
  • Ella Roelant,
  • Isabelle Desombere,
  • Sébastien Anguille,
  • Zwi Berneman,
  • Zwi Berneman,
  • Maria E. Goossens,
  • Herman Goossens,
  • Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar,
  • Evelina Tacconelli,
  • Timon Vandamme,
  • Timon Vandamme,
  • Marc Peeters,
  • Marc Peeters,
  • Peter van Dam,
  • Peter van Dam,
  • Samir Kumar-Singh,
  • Samir Kumar-Singh

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1062136
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundPatients with cancer, especially hematological cancer, are at increased risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infection. So far, a predictive biomarker that can assess compromised vaccine-induced anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity in cancer patients has not been proposed.MethodsWe employed machine learning approaches to identify a biomarker signature based on blood cytokines, chemokines, and immune- and non-immune-related growth factors linked to vaccine immunogenicity in 199 cancer patients receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine.ResultsC-reactive protein (general marker of inflammation), interleukin (IL)-15 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), IL-18 (interferon-gamma inducing factor), and placental growth factor (an angiogenic cytokine) correctly classified patients with a diminished vaccine response assessed at day 49 with >80% accuracy. Amongst these, CRP showed the highest predictive value for poor response to vaccine administration. Importantly, this unique signature of vaccine response was present at different studied timepoints both before and after vaccination and was not majorly affected by different anti-cancer treatments.ConclusionWe propose a blood-based signature of cytokines and growth factors that can be employed in identifying cancer patients at persistent high risk of COVID-19 despite vaccination with BNT162b2. Our data also suggest that such a signature may reflect the inherent immunological constitution of some cancer patients who are refractive to immunotherapy.

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