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Khawaja F, Angelidakis G, Feldman A, Ravi V, Woodman E, Bhatti M, Ariza‐Heredia E, Elhajj P, Spallone A, Jiang Y, Chemaly RF. COVID-19 in cancer patients: The impact of vaccination on outcomes early in the pandemic. Cancer Med 2023; 12:22006-22022. [PMID: 38063366 PMCID: PMC10757141 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the rapid evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the development of effective and safe vaccines was of utmost importance to protect vulnerable individuals, including cancer patients. Studies comparing the clinical outcomes of cancer patients with or without vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have not demonstrated clear benefit. We aimed to determine the protective effects of COVID-19 vaccination by comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated cancer patients after the initial phase of vaccine roll-out and to identify risk factors associated with hospitalization, severe COVID-19, and 30-day COVID-19 attributable mortality. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of cancer patients with COVID-19 diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction on nasal swabs between January 1, 2021 and July 30, 2021. Outcomes of interest included hospitalization, severe COVID-19, and 30-day COVID-19 attributable mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with clinical outcomes, using vaccination status as a variable of interest in all models. RESULTS Key risk factors, such as age ≥ 60 years; comorbidities including diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and lung diseases; and specific cancer types (leukemia and lymphoma) were independently associated with hospital admission for COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and 30-day COVID-19 attributable mortality in cancer patients regardless of their vaccination status. Vaccinated patients were protected against severe COVID-19 but with no impact on hospitalization or mortality due to COVID-19. CONCLUSION Our study highlights a significant benefit of COVID-19 vaccination for cancer patients-specifically its protection against severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fareed Khawaja
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Georgios Angelidakis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Adina Feldman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Vinod Ravi
- Data‐Driven Determinants for COVID‐19 Oncology Discovery Effort (D3CODE) TeamThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
- Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Eric Woodman
- Data‐Driven Determinants for COVID‐19 Oncology Discovery Effort (D3CODE) TeamThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Micah Bhatti
- Department of Laboratory MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Ella Ariza‐Heredia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Peter Elhajj
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Amy Spallone
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Ying Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Roy F. Chemaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee HealthThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
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2
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Vasileiou S, Hill L, Kuvalekar M, Workineh AG, Watanabe A, Velazquez Y, Lulla S, Mooney K, Lapteva N, Grilley BJ, Heslop HE, Rooney CM, Brenner MK, Eagar TN, Carrum G, Grimes KA, Leen AM, Lulla P. Allogeneic, off-the-shelf, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells (ALVR109) for the treatment of COVID-19 in high-risk patients. Haematologica 2023; 108:1840-1850. [PMID: 36373249 PMCID: PMC10316279 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Defects in T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 have been linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 (even after vaccination), persistent viral shedding and the emergence of more virulent viral variants. To address this T-cell deficit, we sought to prepare and cryopreserve banks of virus-specific T cells, which would be available as a partially HLA-matched, off-the-shelf product for immediate therapeutic use. By interrogating the peripheral blood of healthy convalescent donors, we identified immunodominant and protective T-cell target antigens, and generated and characterized polyclonal virus-specific T-cell lines with activity against multiple clinically important SARS-CoV-2 variants (including 'delta' and 'omicron'). The feasibility of making and safely utilizing such virus-specific T cells clinically was assessed by administering partially HLA-matched, third-party, cryopreserved SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells (ALVR109) in combination with other antiviral agents to four individuals who were hospitalized with COVID-19. This study establishes the feasibility of preparing and delivering off-the-shelf, SARS-CoV-2-directed, virus-specific T cells to patients with COVID-19 and supports the clinical use of these products outside of the profoundly immune compromised setting (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04401410).
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyridoula Vasileiou
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.
| | - LaQuisa Hill
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Manik Kuvalekar
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Aster G Workineh
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Ayumi Watanabe
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Yovana Velazquez
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Suhasini Lulla
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Kimberly Mooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Natalia Lapteva
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Bambi J Grilley
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Helen E Heslop
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Cliona M Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Malcolm K Brenner
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Todd N Eagar
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - George Carrum
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Kevin A Grimes
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Ann M Leen
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Premal Lulla
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
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3
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Mariniello DF, Aronne L, Vitale M, Schiattarella A, Pagliaro R, Komici K. Current challenges and perspectives in lung cancer care during COVID-19 waves. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2023; 29:239-247. [PMID: 37132294 PMCID: PMC10241323 DOI: 10.1097/mcp.0000000000000967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In the era of the SARS-Cov2 pandemic, the multidisciplinary care of patients with lung cancer is the main challenge for clinicians. The depiction of complex networking between SARS-CoV2 and cancer cells is crucial to understanding the downstream signalling pathways leading to more severe clinical behaviour of COVID-19 among lung cancer patients. RECENT FINDINGS The immunosuppressive status caused by both blunted immune response and active anticancer treatments (e.g. radiotherapy, chemotherapy) affects also the response to vaccines. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced early detection, therapeutic management, and clinical research for patients with lung cancer. SUMMARY SARS-CoV-2 infection does undoubtedly represent a challenge for care of patients with lung cancer. Since symptoms of infection may overlap with underlying condition, diagnosis must be reached and treatment should start as soon as possible. Although any cancer treatment should be procrastinated as long as infection is not cured, every choice must be pondered on individual basis, according to clinical conditions. Underdiagnosis should be avoided, and both surgical and medical treatment must be tailored to each patient. Therapeutic scenario standardization represents a major challenge for clinicians and researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luigi Aronne
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
| | - Maria Vitale
- CEINGE, Biotecnologie Avanzate
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples
| | - Angela Schiattarella
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
| | - Raffaella Pagliaro
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
| | - Klara Komici
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
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4
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Lodde GC, Fiedler M, Dittmer U, Placke JM, Jansen P, Becker JC, Zimmer L, Livingstone E, Schadendorf D, Sondermann W, Ugurel S. COVID-19 vaccination in advanced skin cancer patients receiving systemic anticancer treatment: A prospective singlecenter study investigating seroconversion rates. Front Oncol 2022; 12:879876. [PMID: 36091146 PMCID: PMC9448664 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.879876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 vaccination reduces risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 severity and death. However, the rate of seroconversion after COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients requiring systemic anticancer treatment is poorly investigated. The aim of the present study was to determine the rate of seroconversion after COVID-19 vaccination in advanced skin cancer patients under active systemic anticancer treatment. Methods This prospective single-center study of a consecutive sample of advanced skin cancer patients was performed from May 2020 until October 2021. Inclusion criteria were systemic treatment for advanced skin cancer, known COVID-19 vaccination status, repetitive anti-SARS-CoV-2-S IgG serum quantification and first and second COVID-19 vaccination. Primary outcome was the rate of anti-SARS-CoV-2-S IgG seroconversion after complete COVID-19 vaccination. Results Of 60 patients with advanced skin cancers, 52 patients (86.7%) received immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI), seven (11.7%) targeted agents (TT), one (1.7%) chemotherapy. Median follow-up time was 12.7 months. During study progress ten patients had died from skin cancer prior to vaccination completion, six patients were lost to follow-up and three patients had refused vaccination. 41 patients completed COVID-19 vaccination with two doses and known serological status. Of those, serum testing revealed n=3 patients (7.3%) as anti-SARS-CoV-2-S IgG positive prior to vaccination, n=32 patients (78.0%) showed a seroconversion, n=6 patients (14.6%) did not achieve a seroconversion. Patients failing serological response were immunocompromised due to concomitant hematological malignancy, previous chemotherapy or autoimmune disease requiring immunosuppressive comedications. Immunosuppressive comedication due to severe adverse events of ICI therapy did not impair seroconversion following COVID-19 vaccination. Of 41 completely vaccinated patients, 35 (85.4%) were under treatment with ICI, five (12.2%) with TT, and one (2.4%) with chemotherapy. 27 patients (65.9%) were treated non adjuvantly. Of these patients, 13 patients had achieved objective response (complete/partial response) as best tumor response (48.2%). Conclusion and relevance Rate of anti-SARS-CoV-2-S IgG seroconversion in advanced skin cancer patients under systemic anticancer treatment after complete COVID-19 vaccination is comparable to other cancer entities. An impaired serological response was observed in patients who were immunocompromised due to concomitant diseases or previous chemotherapies. Immunosuppressive comedication due to severe adverse events of ICI did not impair the serological response to COVID-19 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg C. Lodde
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Georg C. Lodde,
| | - Melanie Fiedler
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jan-Malte Placke
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Philipp Jansen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jürgen C. Becker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Translational Skin Cancer Research (TSCR), University of Duisburg/Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Partner Site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen/Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lisa Zimmer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Partner Site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen/Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wiebke Sondermann
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Selma Ugurel
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Partner Site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen/Düsseldorf, Germany
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5
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Duan LJ, Wang Q, Zhang C, Yang DX, Zhang XY. Potentialities and Challenges of mRNA Vaccine in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:923647. [PMID: 35711457 PMCID: PMC9196868 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.923647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has become the breakthrough strategies for treatment of cancer in recent years. The application of messenger RNA in cancer immunotherapy is gaining tremendous popularity as mRNA can function as an effective vector for the delivery of therapeutic antibodies on immune targets. The high efficacy, decreased toxicity, rapid manufacturing and safe administration of mRNA vaccines have great advantages over conventional vaccines. The unprecedent success of mRNA vaccines against infection has proved its effectiveness. However, the instability and inefficient delivery of mRNA has cast a shadow on the wide application of this approach. In the past decades, modifications on mRNA structure and delivery methods have been made to solve these questions. This review summarizes recent advancements of mRNA vaccines in cancer immunotherapy and the existing challenges for its clinical application, providing insights on the future optimization of mRNA vaccines for the successful treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Juan Duan
- Medical School, Huanghe Science and Technology College, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Cuilian Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Dong-Xiao Yang
- Medical School, Huanghe Science and Technology College, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xu-Yao Zhang
- Medical School, Huanghe Science and Technology College, Zhengzhou, China
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6
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Zeng C, Evans JP, Reisinger S, Woyach J, Liscynesky C, Boghdadly ZE, Rubinstein MP, Chakravarthy K, Saif L, Oltz EM, Gumina RJ, Shields PG, Li Z, Liu SL. Impaired neutralizing antibody response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in cancer patients. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:197. [PMID: 34802457 PMCID: PMC8606166 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00713-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
There is currently a critical need to determine the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for immunocompromised patients. In this study, we determined the neutralizing antibody response in 160 cancer patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lung cancer, breast cancer, and various non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), after they received two doses of mRNA vaccines. Serum from 46 mRNA vaccinated health care workers (HCWs) served as healthy controls. We discovered that (1) cancer patients exhibited reduced neutralizing antibody titer (NT50) compared to HCWs; (2) CLL and NHL patients exhibited the lowest NT50 levels, with 50-60% of them below the detection limit; (3) mean NT50 levels in patients with CLL and NHL was ~2.6 fold lower than those with solid tumors; and (4) cancer patients who received anti-B cell therapy exhibited significantly reduced NT50 levels. Our results demonstrate an urgent need for novel immunization strategies for cancer patients against SARS-CoV-2, particularly those with hematological cancers and those on anti-B cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Zeng
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - John P Evans
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Reisinger
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jennifer Woyach
- Division of Hematology, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Christina Liscynesky
- Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Zeinab El Boghdadly
- Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Mark P Rubinstein
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Karthik Chakravarthy
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Linda Saif
- Center for Food Animal Health, Animal Sciences Department, OARDC, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA.,Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 44691, Wooster, OH, USA.,Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program, Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Eugene M Oltz
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Richard J Gumina
- Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Peter G Shields
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Zihai Li
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Shan-Lu Liu
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program, Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA.
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7
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Zeng C, Evans JP, Reisinger S, Woyach J, Liscynesky C, Boghdadly ZE, Rubinstein MP, Chakravarthy K, Saif L, Oltz EM, Gumina RJ, Shields PG, Li Z, Liu SL. Impaired Neutralizing Antibody Response to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines in Cancer Patients. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021. [PMID: 34704093 PMCID: PMC8547525 DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.20.21265273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
There is currently a critical need to determine the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for immunocompromised patients. In this study, we determined the neutralizing antibody response in 160 cancer patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lung cancer, breast cancer, and various non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), after they received two doses of mRNA vaccines. Serum from 46 mRNA vaccinated health care workers (HCWs) served as healthy controls. We discovered that (1) cancer patients exhibited reduced neutralizing antibody titer (NT
50
) compared to HCWs; (2) CLL and NHL patients exhibited the lowest NT
50
levels, with 50-60% of them below the detection limit; (3) mean NT
50
levels in patients with CLL and NHL was ∼2.6 fold lower than those with solid tumors; and (4) cancer patients who received anti-B cell therapy exhibited significantly reduced NT
50
levels. Our results demonstrate an urgent need for novel immunization strategies for cancer patients against SARS-CoV-2, particularly those with hematological cancers and those on anti-B cell therapies.
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