Reduced Humoral and Cellular Immune Response to Primary COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Kidney Transplanted Children Aged 5–11 Years

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reduced Humoral and Cellular Immune Response to Primary COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Kidney Transplanted Children Aged 5–11 Years

AU - Lalia, Jasmin Kaur

AU - Schild, Raphael-Sebastian

AU - Lütgehetmann, Marc

AU - Dunay, Gabor Artur

AU - Kallinich, Tilmann

AU - Kobbe, Robin

AU - Massoud, Mona

AU - Oh, Jun

AU - Pietzsch, Leonora

AU - Schulze-Sturm, Ulf

AU - Schuetz, Catharina

AU - Sibbertsen, Freya

AU - Speth, Fabian

AU - Thieme, Sebastian

AU - Witkowski, Mario

AU - Berner, Reinhard

AU - Muntau, Ania Carolina

AU - Gersting, Søren Waldemar

AU - Toepfner, Nicole

AU - Pagel, Julia

AU - Paul, Kevin

PY - 2023/7/14

Y1 - 2023/7/14

N2 - The situation of limited data concerning the response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations in immunocom-promised children hinders evidence-based recommendations. This prospective observational study investigated humoral and T cell responses after primary BNT162b2 vaccination in secondary immunocompromised and healthy children aged 5–11 years. Participants were categorized as: children after kidney transplantation (KTx, n = 9), proteinuric glomerulonephritis (GN, n = 4) and healthy children (controls, n = 8). Expression of activation-induced markers and cytokine secretion were determined to quantify the T cell response from PBMCs stimulated with peptide pools covering the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan Hu-1 and Omicron BA.5. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain were quantified in serum. Seroconversion was detected in 56% of KTx patients and in 100% of the GN patients and controls. Titer levels were significantly higher in GN patients and controls than in KTx patients. In Ktx patients, the humoral response increased after a third immunization. No differences in the frequency of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells between all groups were observed. T cells showed a predominant anti-viral capacity in their secreted cytokines; however, this capacity was reduced in KTx patients. This study provides missing evidence concerning the humoral and T cell response in immunocompromised children after COVID-19 vaccination.

AB - The situation of limited data concerning the response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations in immunocom-promised children hinders evidence-based recommendations. This prospective observational study investigated humoral and T cell responses after primary BNT162b2 vaccination in secondary immunocompromised and healthy children aged 5–11 years. Participants were categorized as: children after kidney transplantation (KTx, n = 9), proteinuric glomerulonephritis (GN, n = 4) and healthy children (controls, n = 8). Expression of activation-induced markers and cytokine secretion were determined to quantify the T cell response from PBMCs stimulated with peptide pools covering the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan Hu-1 and Omicron BA.5. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain were quantified in serum. Seroconversion was detected in 56% of KTx patients and in 100% of the GN patients and controls. Titer levels were significantly higher in GN patients and controls than in KTx patients. In Ktx patients, the humoral response increased after a third immunization. No differences in the frequency of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells between all groups were observed. T cells showed a predominant anti-viral capacity in their secreted cytokines; however, this capacity was reduced in KTx patients. This study provides missing evidence concerning the humoral and T cell response in immunocompromised children after COVID-19 vaccination.

U2 - 10.3390/v15071553

DO - 10.3390/v15071553

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 37515239

VL - 15

SP - 1553

JO - VIRUSES-BASEL

JF - VIRUSES-BASEL

SN - 1999-4915

IS - 7

ER -