Cellular and Humoral Immunity against Different SARS-CoV-2 Variants Is Detectable but Reduced in Vaccinated Kidney Transplant Patients
Laura Thümmler,
Anja Gäckler,
Maren Bormann,
Sandra Ciesek,
Marek Widera,
Hana Rohn,
Neslinur Fisenkci,
Mona Otte,
Mira Alt,
Ulf Dittmer,
Peter A. Horn,
Oliver Witzke,
Adalbert Krawczyk,
Monika Lindemann
Affiliations
Laura Thümmler
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Anja Gäckler
Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Maren Bormann
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Sandra Ciesek
Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Marek Widera
Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Hana Rohn
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Neslinur Fisenkci
Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Mona Otte
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Mira Alt
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Ulf Dittmer
Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Peter A. Horn
Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Oliver Witzke
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Adalbert Krawczyk
Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Monika Lindemann
Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
In kidney transplant (KTX) patients, immune responses after booster vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 are inadequately examined. We analyzed these patients a median of four months after a third/fourth vaccination and compared them to healthy controls. Cellular responses were analyzed by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) ELISpot assays. Neutralizing antibody titers were assessed against SARS-CoV-2 D614G (wild type) and the variants alpha, delta, and omicron by a cell culture-based neutralization assay. Humoral immunity was also determined by a competitive fluorescence assay, using 11 different variants of SARS-CoV-2. Antibody ratios were measured by ELISA. KTX patients showed significantly lower SARS-CoV-2-specific IFN-γ responses after booster vaccination than healthy controls. However, SARS-CoV-2-specific IL-2 responses were comparable to the T cell responses of healthy controls. Cell culture-based neutralizing antibody titers were 1.3-fold higher in healthy controls for D614G, alpha, and delta, and 7.8-fold higher for omicron (p < 0.01). Healthy controls had approximately 2-fold higher concentrations of potential neutralizing antibodies against all 11 variants than KTX patients. However, more than 60% of the KTX patients displayed antibodies to variants of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, KTX patients should be partly protected, due to neutralizing antibodies to variants of SARS-CoV-2 or by cross-reactive T cells, especially those producing IL-2.
