Long-Term Assessment of Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccination in People with Cystic Fibrosis and Solid Organ Transplantation

TL;DR

This study examines how well people with cystic fibrosis and organ transplants respond to multiple doses of a COVID-19 vaccine over two years.

Contribution

The study provides long-term data on antibody responses in CF patients with organ transplants after multiple vaccine doses.

Findings

83.3% of patients showed a positive antibody response after three vaccine doses.

Liver transplant recipients had higher antibody levels than lung transplant recipients.

Antibody levels remained elevated or increased over 27 months with repeated boosters.

Abstract

With the worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 disease, people with cystic fibrosis (CF), especially solid organ transplant recipients, have quickly been identified as a risk group for severe disease. Studies have shown low antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in recipients of solid organ transplant compared to the healthy population. Information on immune response in CF patients with solid organ transplantation is limited, especially regarding long-term efficacy. The aim of this real-world study was a long-term assessment of humoral immune response induced by three and four doses of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. S1RBD and IgG antibodies were measured every 12 weeks over a period of 27 months in twelve CF patients (five liver and seven lung transplantation recipients). A total of 83.3% of our patients showed a positive antibody response after three doses of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. A sustained immune response was observed in both groups over the observation period, with liver transplant recipients showing higher levels than lung transplant recipients. This study is among the first to show long-term data with constantly elevated or even increasing antibody levels. We conclude that this effect is most likely associated with repeated boostering in terms of infections and booster vaccinations.

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