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Antibody Response Induced by Two Doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, mRNA-1273, or BNT162b2 in Liver Transplant Recipients

  • So Yun Lim (Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Young-In Yoon (Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Ji Yeun Kim (Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Eunyoung Tak (Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology (AMIST), Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Gi-Won Song (Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Sung-Han Kim (Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Sung-Gyu Lee (Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2022.03.27
  • Accepted : 2022.05.04
  • Published : 2022.06.30
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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in immunocompromised, especially transplant recipients, may induce a weaker immune response. But there are limited data on the immune response after COVID-19 vaccination in liver transplant (LT) recipients, especially on the comparison of Ab responses after different vaccine platforms between mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines. Thus, we conducted a prospective study on LT recipients who received two doses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (ChAdOx1), mRNA-1273, or BNT162b2 vaccines compared with healthy healthcare workers (HCWs). SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG Ab titers were measured using ELISA. Overall, 89 LT recipients (ChAdOx1, n=16 [18%]) or mRNA vaccines (mRNA-1273 vaccine, n=23 [26%]; BNT162b2 vaccine, n=50 [56%]) received 3 different vaccines. Of them, 16 (18%) had a positive Ab response after one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 62 (73%) after 2 doses. However, the median Ab titer after two doses of mRNA vaccines was significantly higher (44.6 IU/ml) than after two doses of ChAdOx1 (19.2 IU/ml, p=0.04). The longer time interval from transplantation was significantly associated with high Ab titers after two doses of vaccine (p=0.003). However, mycophenolic acid use was not associated with Ab titers (p=0.53). In conclusion, about 3-quarters of LT recipients had a positive Ab response after 2 doses of vaccine, and the mRNA vaccines induced higher Ab responses than the ChAdOx1 vaccine.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant from the Korea Advanced Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), which is funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Republic of Korea (grant No. 2020M3H8A1115041) and a grant from the Asan Medical Center (grant No. AMC-2022IL0026).

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