scholarly journals Immunosuppression reduction when administering a booster dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in kidney transplant recipients without adequate humoral response following two vaccine doses: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (BECAME study)

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e055611
Author(s):  
Dafna Yahav ◽  
Benaya Rozen-Zvi ◽  
Tiki Mashraki ◽  
Alaa Atamna ◽  
Haim Ben-Zvi ◽  
...  

IntroductionInadequate antibody response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has been described among kidney transplant recipients. Immunosuppression level and specifically, use of antimetabolite in the maintenance immunosuppressive regimen, are associated with inadequate response. In light of the severe consequences of COVID-19 in solid organ transplant recipients, we believe it is justified to examine new vaccination strategies in these patients.Methods and analysisBECAME is a single-centre, open-label, investigator-initiated randomised controlled, superiority trial, aiming to compare immunosuppression reduction combined with a third BNT162b2 vaccine dose versus third dose alone. The primary outcome will be seropositivity rate against SARS-CoV-2. A sample size of 154 patients was calculated for the seropositivity endpoint assuming 25% seropositivity in the control group and 50% in the intervention group. A sample of participants per arm will be also tested for T-cell response. We also plan to perform a prospective observational study, evaluating seropositivity among ~350 kidney transplant recipients consenting to receive a third vaccine dose, who are not eligible for the randomised controlled trial.Ethics and disseminationThe trial is approved by local ethics committee of Rabin Medical Center (RMC-0192-21). All participants will be required to provide written informed consent. Results of this trial will be published; trial data will be available. Protocol amendments will be submitted to the local ethics committee.Trail registration numberNCT04961229.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Chan ◽  
Carmel M Hawley ◽  
Elaine M Pascoe ◽  
Christopher Cao ◽  
Katrina L Campbell ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundModulating the microbiota in the large intestine of kidney transplant recipients through prebiotic supplementation may prevent infectious complications from occurring. To date, there have been no interventional trials which have investigated this novel treatment in kidney transplantation. The aim of PREBIOTIC is to assess the feasibility of performing a randomised controlled trial of prebiotics in reducing infections and gastrointestinal symptoms in kidney transplant recipients.MethodsSixty kidney transplant patients will be recruited to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised feasibility trial. Patients will be provided with prebiotic therapy or placebo for four to six weeks. Outcomes will include recruitment, adherence, tolerance, retention, laboratory parameters (including serum indoxyl sulphate, ρ-cresyl sulphate and stool collection), patients’ self-assessed quality of life, gastrointestinal symptoms and clinical outcomes.DiscussionThis trial will assess the feasibility of prebiotic supplementation in kidney transplant recipients. Prebiotics may not only alter the gut microbiota and their inherent metabolism and production of uraemic toxins, but may also prevent infections from occurring in kidney transplant recipients.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number ACTRN12618001057279p. The date of registration was 25th June 2018, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375370&isReview=true.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e049184
Author(s):  
Julian Singer ◽  
Yan Jun Li ◽  
Tracey Ying ◽  
Leyla J Aouad ◽  
David M Gracey ◽  
...  

IntroductionKidney transplantation remains the best treatment for end-stage kidney disease, however the requirement for indefinite immunosuppression increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and infection, leading to a reduction in long-term patient and graft survival. The gut microbiome is a critical determinant of health and modulates host immunity and metabolism through a number of recognised pathways, including through the production of immunomodulatory short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Dietary supplementation with non-digestible fibre can augment the microbial production of SCFA and lead to favourable immune and metabolic outcomes, although this has yet to be shown in human kidney transplant recipients.Methods and analysisDietary inulin for gut health in solid-organ transplantation (DIGEST) is a single-centre, unblinded, pilot parallel-arm randomised controlled trial designed to assess the feasibility and adherence of dietary inulin, a naturally occurring dietary fibre, in the early post-transplant period in kidney transplant recipients. Participants will be randomised at day 28 post-transplant to a 4-week period of dietary inulin (10–20 g/day) in addition to standard care, or standard care alone, and followed-up until week 12 post-transplant.The primary outcomes of the study are: (i) the feasibility of participant recruitment, randomisation and retention; (ii) adherence to the intervention (inulin) and (iii) the tolerability of inulin determined by changes in gastrointestinal symptoms as scored on the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale.Secondary outcomes include: (1) glycaemic variability determined by continuous glucose monitoring; (2) abundance of SCFA-producing microbiota, as determined by 16s rRNA sequencing of the faecal metagenome; (3) serum SCFA concentrations; (4) peripheral blood immune cell populations; (5) recipient inflammatory and metabolic profiles and (6) the incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection and kidney function determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate.Ethics and disseminationAll study visits, clinical and laboratory assessments will be integrated into usual post-transplant care, creating no additional healthcare encounters or procedures. The risks associated with this study are minor. Inulin has been shown to be well tolerated across a variety of cohorts, with the occurrence of short-term adverse gastrointestinal symptoms self-limiting. However, with gastrointestinal adverse events common following kidney transplantation, the tolerability of inulin in this cohort remains unknown. The results of DIGEST will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at academic conferences. This study has been approved by the Sydney Local Health District’s Ethics Committee (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Zone).Trial registration numberACTRN12620000623998.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Caillard ◽  
Olivier Thaunat ◽  
Ilies Benotmane ◽  
christophe masset ◽  
Gilles Blancho

The US FDA has recently authorized immunocompromised people to receive a third dose of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine following the two-doses regimen to further boost protection. Unfortunately, a non-negligible proportion of people treated with immunosuppressive drugs either do not respond or show only a weak response after a third boost and should, therefore, still be considered at risk of severe Covid-19. As of June 2021, we were granted the opportunity to offer a fourth vaccine dose to French solid organ transplant recipients who still showed a weak antibody response after the third dose. In this multicenter study, we demonstrate that that the protection conferred by a fourth dose is adequate for the majority of kidney transplant recipients


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaninee Prasoppokakorn ◽  
Jakapat Vanichanan ◽  
Roongruedee Chaiteerakij ◽  
Kamonwan Jutivorakool ◽  
Suwasin Udomkarnjananun ◽  
...  

AbstractHepatitis A virus (HAV) is able to cause a spectrum of illnesses ranging from no symptom to fulminant hepatitis which may lead to acute kidney injury. Although hepatitis A vaccine is recommended in non-immune solid organ transplant recipients who live in or travel to endemic areas, the standard 2-dose vaccination regimen demonstrated less favorable immunogenicity among these population. The 3-dose regimen showed higher response rate and immune durability in patients with human immunodeficiency virus. However, this strategy has never been studied in solid organ transplant recipients. A single-center, open-labeled, computer-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a 2:1 allocation ratio was conducted from August 2017 to December 2018. The study compared the seroconversion rate after receiving 2- or 3-dose regimen of hepatitis A vaccine at 0, 6 and 0, 1, 6 months, respectively, in non-immune kidney transplant recipients. A total of 401 adult kidney transplant recipients were screened for anti-HAV IgG and 285 subjects had positive results so the seroprevalence was 71.1%. Of 116 seronegative recipients, 93 (80.2%) completed vaccination; 60 and 33 participants completed 2- and 3-dose vaccination, respectively. The baseline characteristics were comparable between both groups. The seroconversion rate at 1 month after vaccination was 51.7% in the standard 2-dose regimen and 48.5% in the 3-dose regimen (p = 0.769). Overall, the seroconversion rate appeared to be associated with high estimated glomerular infiltration rate, high serum albumin, and low intensity immunosuppressive regimen. Seroconversion rate after hepatitis A vaccination in kidney transplant recipients was less favorable than healthy population. Three-dose regimen did not show superior benefit over the standard 2-dose regimen. Other strategies of immunization may increase immunogenicity among kidney transplant recipients.


2000 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Shidban ◽  
M. Sabawi ◽  
S. Aswad ◽  
G. Chambers ◽  
I. Castillon ◽  
...  

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aziza Ajlan ◽  
Hassan Aleid ◽  
Tariq Zulfiquar Ali ◽  
Hala Joharji ◽  
Khalid Almeshari ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Induction therapy with IL-2 receptor antagonist (IL2-RA) is recommended as a first-line agent in low immunological risk kidney transplant recipients. However, the role of IL2-RA in the setting of tacrolimus-based immunosuppression has not been fully investigated. Aims To compare different induction therapeutic strategies with 2 doses of basiliximab vs. no induction in low immunologic risk kidney transplant recipients as per KFSHRC protocol. Methods Prospective, randomized, double blind, non-inferiority, controlled clinical trial Expected outcomes 1. Primary outcomes: Biopsy-proven acute rejection within first year following transplant 2. Secondary outcomes: a. Patient and graft survival at 1 year b. eGFR at 6 months and at 12 months c. Emergence of de novo donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) Trial registration The study has been prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NTC: 04404127). Registered on 27 May 2020.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e034137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitris Papamargaritis ◽  
Werd Al-Najim ◽  
Jonathan Lim ◽  
James Crane ◽  
Mike Lean ◽  
...  

IntroductionIn the UK and Ireland, severe and complex obesity is managed in specialist weight management services (SWMS), which provide multicomponent lifestyle interventions to support weight loss, and use of medication if available. Liraglutide 3 mg (LIRA 3 mg) is an effective weight-loss medication, but weight loss in individual patients is variable, and its efficacy has not been assessed in SWMS. This study aims to investigate whether a targeted prescribing pathway for LIRA 3 mg with multiple prespecified stopping rules could help people with severe obesity and established complications achieve ≥15% weight loss in order to determine whether this could be considered a clinically effective and cost-effective strategy for managing severe and complex obesity in SWMS.Methods and analysisIn this 2-year, multicentre, open-label, real-world randomised controlled trial, 384 adults with severe and complex obesity (defined as body mass index ≥35 kg/m2plus either prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnoea) will be randomised via a 2:1 ratio to receive either standard SWMS care (n=128) or standard SWMS care plus a targeted prescribing pathway for LIRA 3 mg with prespecified stopping rules at 16, 32 and 52 weeks (n=256).The primary outcome is to compare the proportion of participants achieving a weight loss of ≥15% at 52 weeks with a targeted prescribing pathway versus standard care. Secondary outcomes include a comparison of (1) the weight loss maintenance at 104 weeks and (2) the budget impact and cost effectiveness between the two groups in a real-world setting.Ethics and disseminationThe Health Research Authority and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority in UK, the Health Products Regulatory Authority in Ireland, the North West Deanery Research Ethics Committee (UK) and the St Vincent’s University Hospital European Research Ethics Committee (Ireland) have approved the study. The findings of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov—Identifier:NCT03036800.European Clinical Trials Database—Identifier: EudraCT Number 2017-002998-20.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1412
Author(s):  
Lavinia Bernea ◽  
Oana R. Ailioaie ◽  
Nadine Benhamouda ◽  
Eric Tartour ◽  
Dominique P. Germain

The urgent need to fight the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and approval processes. Initial analysis of two-dose regimens with mRNA vaccines reported up to 95% efficacy against the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Challenges arose with the appearance of new strains of the virus, and reports that solid organ transplant recipients may have reduced vaccination success rates after a two-dose mRNA vaccination regimen encouraged health authorities to recommend a booster in immunocompromised patients. Fabry disease is an X-linked inherited lysosomal disorder, which may lead to chronic end-stage renal disease. We report on two patients with advanced Fabry disease, renal graft and adjunctive immunosuppressive therapies who exhibited variable humoral vaccination-related immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 after three vaccine doses. The first patient developed mild COVID-19 infection, while the second patient did not seroconvert after three shots of an mRNA vaccine. Both cases emphasize that patients with Fabry disease and renal graft are susceptible to develop a weak response to COVID-19 vaccination and highlight the importance of maintaining barrier protection measures. Vaccination of family members should be encouraged to lower the risk of viral transmission to immunocompromised, transplanted patients, including vaccinated ones.


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