Improved SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization of Delta and Omicron BA.1 Variants of Concern after Fourth Vaccination in Hemodialysis Patients

Cho Chin Cheng, Louise Platen, Catharina Christa, Myriam Tellenbach, Verena Kappler, Romina Bester, Bo Hung Liao, Christopher Holzmann-Littig, Maia Werz, Emely Schönhals, Eva Platen, Peter Eggerer, Laëtitia Tréguer, Claudius Küchle, Christoph Schmaderer, Uwe Heemann, Lutz Renders, Ulrike Protzer, Matthias Christoph Braunisch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hemodialysis patients are exposed to a markedly increased risk when infected with SARS-CoV-2. To date, it is unclear if hemodialysis patients benefit from four vaccinations. A total of 142 hemodialysis patients received four COVID-19 vaccinations until March 2022. RDB binding antibody titers were determined in a competitive surrogate neutralization assay. Vero-E6 cells were infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC), Delta (B.1.617.2), or Omicron (B.1.1.529, sub-lineage BA.1) to determine serum infection neutralization capacity. Four weeks after the fourth vaccination, serum infection neutralization capacity significantly increased from a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50, serum dilution factor 1:x) of 247.0 (46.3–1560.8) to 2560.0 (1174.0–2560.0) for the Delta VoC, and from 37.5 (20.0–198.8) to 668.5 (182.2–2560.0) for the Omicron VoC (each p < 0.001) compared to four months after the third vaccination. A significant increase in the neutralization capacity was even observed for patients with high antibody titers after three vaccinations (p < 0.001). Ten patients with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection after the first blood sampling had by trend lower prior neutralization capacity for Omicron (p = 0.051). Our findings suggest that hemodialysis patients benefit from a fourth vaccination in particular in the light of the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-variants. A routinely applied four-time vaccination seems to broaden immunity against variants and would be recommended in hemodialysis patients.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1328
JournalVaccines
Volume10
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • COVID-19 vaccination
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • hemodialysis
  • in-vitro viral neutralization

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