ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in patients after renal transplantation.
Study Design: A case-control study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Kidney Transplant Department, Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, Pakistan from September 2020 to September 2021.
Methods: A total of 180 renal transplant recipients who had received a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine were selected for the study. The patients were evaluated before and after vaccine administration for seropositivity and anti-spike antibody levels. The results were compared with a control group of 50 healthy controls. T-cell response was assessed in only 50 transplant recipients.
Results: 50 (27.7%) KTRs and 48 (96%) controls achieved optimum antibody level (4160 AU/ml) (P<.001). All (100%) of the controls were seropositive after 3^rd dose. Among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), there was a significant increase in the median anti-spike antibody level from 13.7 AU/ml before to 515.46 AU/ml after the 3^rd dose (P< .001). There also was a significant increase in log-transformed antibody level after 3^rd dose in both the study and control group (P<.001). Of 50 randomly selected subjects, 6 (12%) showed positive T cell response.
Conclusion: Pfizer vaccine improved antibody response in renal transplantation recipients.

Keywords:  COVID-19, Immunity, Renal Transplantation, Vaccination.

How to cite this: Afzal U, Hussain M, Khan AI, Adnan M, Muzammil M, Ahmad I. Antibody Response of COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects After Renal Transplantation – A Case-Control Study. Life and Science. 2024; 5(4): 465-470. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.508