Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMSAlthough vaccination against COVID-19 infection in dialysis patients is an urgent issue of worldwide concern, literature data regarding the antibody level and their kinetics over time and the efficacy towards complete COVID-19 vaccination and booster dose in these patients is inconclusive.METHODWe retrospectively assessed the response to COVID-19 vaccination, after the completion of vaccine series and after a booster dose in haemodialysis (HD) patients. IgG antibodies to the spike protein S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 were measured using ELISA at least 15 days after completion of a vaccination series, 1 month and finally 15–30 days after the booster dose.RESULTSAmong the 28 vaccinated HD patients (mean age = 59.8 years, 100% male) with two doses of mRNA vaccine, a seroconversion was documented in all the patients (100%) with a median antibody titre of 3270.6 U/mL (IQR: 94–40.000). We recorded 9 out of 28 early responders (peak level at 2 weeks) and 19/28 late responders (peak level at 1 month). The early responders were younger (56.25 years versus 61.63; P = 0.07), without cardiovascular history (88% versus 44%; P = 0.042) or diabetes (100% versus 63%; P = 0.042), compared with late responders. On multivariate analysis, combined haemoperfusion and haemodialysis (HR = 0.167, 95% confidence interval: 0.034–0.826; P = 0.028) was an independent prognostic factor for early responders. After 6 months, all the patients received a booster mRNA dose. The patients presented median antibody levels of 33.939 U/mL (IQR: 1112–181.223), much higher titre than the first peak. Finally, four patients, all from the late responders group, presented COVID-19 infection during the vaccination period (two patients in the early period <1 month and two patients in the late period >5 months).CONCLUSIONHD patients develop a substantial humoral response against SARS-CoV2 and the booster dose much higher response. The early responders presented more rapidly and more efficacious antibody levels, while the combined haemoperfusion and haemodialysis emerged as a positive predictor factor.
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