Immune Response and Safety to Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine: A Comparison Between People Living with HIV and HIV-naïve Individuals

Abstract

Background: Multi-types COVID-19 vaccines have shown safety and efficacy against COVID-19 in healthy adults. Although current guidelines encourage people living with HIV(PLWH) to take COVID-19 vaccines, whether their immune response to COVID-19 vaccines is distinct from HIV-free individuals is still unclear.Methods: Between March to June 2021, 48 PLWH and 40 HNC, aged 18 to 59 years, were enrolled in the study. All of them received inactivated COVID-19 vaccine at day 0 and the second dose at day 28. The primary safety outcome was the combined adverse reactions within 7days after each injection. The primary immunogenicity outcomes were neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) responses by chemiluminescence and total specific IgM and IgG antibodies responses by ELISA and colloidal gold at baseline (day 0), day 14, day 28, day 42, and day 70.Findings: In total, the study included 46 PLWH and 38 HNC who finished 70 days’ follow-up. The frequency of adverse reactions to the first and second dose was not different between PLWH (30% and 11%) vs HNC (32% and 24%). NAbs responses among PLWH peaked at day 70, while among HNC peaked at day 42. At day 42, the geometric mean concentration (GMC) and seroconversion rate of nAbs among PLWH were 4.46 binding antibody units (BAU)/mL (95% CI, 3.18-5.87) and 26% (95% CI, 14-41), which were lower than that among HNC [GMC (18.28 BAU/mL, 95% CI, 10.33-32.33), seroconversion rate (63%, 95% CI, 44-79)]. IgG responses among both PLWH and HNC peaked at day 70. At day 70, the geometric mean ELISA units (GMEU) and seroconversion rate of IgG among PLWH were 0.193 ELISA units (EU)/mL (95% CI, 0.119-0.313) and 51% (95% CI, 34-69), which was lower than that among HNC [GMEU (0.379 BAU/mL, 95% CI, 0.224-0.653), seroconversion rate (86%, 95% CI, 64-97)].Interpretation: Early humoral immune response to the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine was weaker and delayed among the PLWH population than that among HNC. This observation remained consistent regardless of a high CD4 count and a low HIV viral load suppressed by ART.Funding: This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFE0103800), the National Nature Science Foundation of China (81903371), NIMH (R34MH119963), the National Science and Technology Major Project (2018ZX10101-001-001-003), and Special Found on Prevention and Control of New Coronary Pneumonia in Guangdong Universities (2020KZDZX1047), Medical Science and Technology Innovation Platform Support Project of Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University (PTXM2020008), Science and Technology Innovation Cultivation Fund of Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University (cxpy2017043). Medical Science Advancement Program (Basic Medical Sciences) of Wuhan University (TFJC2018004).Declaration of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, P. R. China (2020079K-1). Informed consent was obtained from all individuals enrolled in this study.