Publications by authors named "Jonas Hillebrandt"
Article Synopsis
- Vaccination is crucial for kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) against SARS-CoV-2, but their immune response is often weaker than that of healthy individuals.
- The study analyzed the T-cell response in 148 KTRs, finding lower spike-specific T cell frequencies compared to controls, but a positive association was seen with spike-specific antibodies and certain vaccination strategies.
- KTRs who contracted SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination exhibited significantly enhanced T-cell responses, indicating that hybrid immunity (from both vaccination and infection) provides stronger protection.
We provide follow-up data on the humoral immune response after COVID-19 vaccinations of two distinct cohorts aged below 60 and over 80 years to screen for age-related differences in the longevity and magnitude of the induction of the antibody responses post booster-vaccinations. While anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IgG and neutralization capacity waned rapidly after the initial vaccination schedule, additional boosters highly benefitted the humoral immune responses especially in the elderly cohort, including the neutralization of Omikron variants. Thus, adjusted COVID-19 booster vaccination schedules are an appropriate tool to overcome limitations in the success of vaccinations.
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- A study examined how modifying vaccination strategies, specifically by reducing mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) doses, can enhance the immune response in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
- Out of 174 previously seronegative KTRs, 32% became seropositive after a third vaccination, but only three developed neutralizing antibodies against the omicron variant.
- The findings suggest that a reduction of MMF by at least 33% prior to vaccination can significantly improve seroconversion rates in KTRs, potentially improving the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Background: Patients with kidney failure on dialysis or after renal transplantation have a high risk for severe COVID-19 infection, and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is the only expedient prophylaxis. Generally, immune responses are attenuated in patients with kidney failure, however, systematic analyses of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients on dialysis and in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are still needed.
Methods: In this prospective, multicentric cohort study, antibody responses to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 [BioNTech/Pfizer] or mRNA-1273 [Moderna]) were measured in 32 patients on dialysis and in 28 KTRs.
Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are extremely vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and show an impaired immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. We analyzed factors related to vaccination efficiency in KTRs. In a multicenter prospective observational study (NCT04743947), IgG antibodies levels against SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 subunit and their neutralization capacity after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were analyzed in 225 KTRs and compared to 176 controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to the development of various vaccines. Real-life data on immune responses elicited in the most vulnerable group of vaccinees older than age 80 years old are still underrepresented despite the prioritization of the elderly in vaccination campaigns.
Methods: We conducted a cohort study with 2 age groups, young vaccinees below the age of 60 years and elderly vaccinees over the age of 80 years, to compare their antibody responses to the first and second dose of the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination.