Assessment of Post-Vaccination Antibody Response Eight Months after the Administration of BNT1622b2 Vaccine to Healthcare Workers with Particular Emphasis on the Impact of Previous COVID-19 Infection

At the end of 2020, COVID-19 vaccination programs were initiated in many countries, including Poland. The first vaccine approved in Poland was the BNT162b2 mRNA preparation (Pfizer/BioNTech), and the first vaccinated group were healthcare workers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate post-vaccine antibody titers 8 months after the second vaccine dose had been administered to a group of employees of the Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Olsztyn (Poland). The employees were divided into two groups: persons who had COVID-19 in the fourth quarter of 2020 and were vaccinated in January–February 2021, and persons without a history of COVID-19 who were vaccinated during the same period. The analyzed material was venous blood serum collected from 100 hospital employees on 23–28 September 2021. The level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies was measured with a Roche Cobas e411 analyzer using the electrochemiluminescence (ECLIA) method. The study demonstrated that persons with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection had significantly higher antibody levels (taking into account gender, age, type of work performed, and severity of post-vaccination symptoms) than employees without a history of COVID-19. The study also revealed that the type of work, age, gender, and the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection can influence the humoral immune response. The presented results may prove helpful in the context of administering additional vaccine doses.

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Comprehensive assessment of humoral response after Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccination: a three-case series

10.1101/2021.03.19.21253989 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elisa Danese ◽

Martina Montagnana ◽

Gian Luca Salvagno ◽

Matteo Gelati ◽

Denise Peserico ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Protein Concentration ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Case Series ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Humoral Immune

Background. Since universal vaccination is a pillar against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), monitoring anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies is essential for deciphering post-vaccination immune response. Methods. Three healthcare workers received 30 μg BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine, followed by a second identical dose, 21 days afterwards. Venous blood was drawn at baseline and at serial intervals, up to 63 days afterwards, for assessing total immunoglobulins (Ig) anti-RBD (receptor binding domain), IgG anti-S1/S2, IgG anti-RBD, IgM anti-RBD, IgM anti-N/S1 and IgA anti-S1. Results. All subjects were SARS-CoV-2 seronegative at baseline. Total Ig anti-RBD, IgG anti-S1/S2 and IgG anti-RBD levels increased between 91-368 folds until 21 days after the first vaccine dose, then reached a plateau. The levels raised further after the second dose (by ~30-, ~8- and ~8-fold, respectively), peaking at day 35, but then slightly declining and stabilizing ~50 days after the first dose. IgA anti-S1 levels increased between 7-11 days after the first dose, slightly declined before the second dose, after which levels augmented by ~24-fold from baseline. The anti-RBD and anti-N/S1 IgM kinetics were similar to that of anti-S1 IgA, though displaying substantially weaker increases and modest peaks, only 4 to 7-fold higher than baseline. Highly significant inter-correlation was noted between total Ig anti-RBD, anti-S1/S2 and anti-RBD IgG (all r=0.99), whilst other anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies displayed lower, though still significant, correlations. Serum spike protein concentration was undetectable at all time points. Conclusions. BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination generates a robust humoral immune response, especially involving IgG and IgA, magnified by the second vaccine dose.

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Comprehensive assessment of humoral response after Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccination: a three-case series

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) ◽

10.1515/cclm-2021-0339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Elisa Danese ◽

Martina Montagnana ◽

Gian Luca Salvagno ◽

Denise Peserico ◽

Laura Pighi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Protein Concentration ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Case Series ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Humoral Immune

Abstract Objectives Since universal vaccination is a pillar against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), monitoring anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies is essential for deciphering post-vaccination immune response. Methods Three healthcare workers received 30 μg BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Pfizer Vaccine, followed by a second identical dose, 21 days afterwards. Venous blood was drawn at baseline and at serial intervals, up to 63 days afterwards, for assessing total immunoglobulins (Ig) anti-RBD (receptor binding domain), anti-S1/S2 and anti-RBD IgG, anti-RBD and anti-N/S1 IgM, and anti-S1 IgA. Results All subjects were SARS-CoV-2 seronegative at baseline. Total Ig anti-RBD, anti-S1/S2 and anti-RBD IgG levels increased between 91 and 368 folds until 21 days after the first vaccine dose, then reached a plateau. The levels raised further after the second dose (by ∼30-, ∼8- and ∼8-fold, respectively), peaking at day 35, but then slightly declining and stabilizing ∼50 days after the first vaccine dose. Anti-S1 IgA levels increased between 7 and 11 days after the first dose, slightly declined before the second dose, after which levels augmented by ∼24-fold from baseline. The anti-RBD and anti-N/S1 IgM kinetics were similar to that of anti-S1 IgA, though displaying substantially weaker increases and modest peaks, only 4- to 7-fold higher than baseline. Highly significant inter-correlation was noted between total Ig anti-RBD, anti-S1/S2 and anti-RBD IgG (all r=0.99), whilst other anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies displayed lower, though still significant, correlations. Serum spike protein concentration was undetectable at all-time points. Conclusions BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination generates a robust humoral immune response, especially involving anti-SARS-Cov-2 IgG and IgA, magnified by the second vaccine dose.

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Impact of Age and Sex on Antibody Response Following the Second Dose of COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine in Greek Healthcare Workers

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9081725 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 1725

Author(s):

Niki Vassilaki ◽

Antonios N. Gargalionis ◽

Anastasia Bletsa ◽

Nikolaos Papamichalopoulos ◽

Elisavet Kontou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Age Groups ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Igg Antibody ◽

Female Population ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Antibody Titers

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD (receptor-binding domain) IgG antibody levels were monitored in 1643 volunteer healthcare workers of Eginition, Evangelismos, and Konstantopoulio General Hospitals (Athens, Greece), who underwent vaccination with two doses of COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer) and had no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Venous blood was collected 20–30 days after the second vaccine dose and anti-RBD IgG levels were determined using CMIA SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant (Abbott) on ARCHITECT i System or ADVIA Centaur SARS-CoV-2 IgG (Siemens) on Centaur XP platform. From the total population of 1643 vaccinees (533 M/1110 F; median age = 49; interquartile range-IQR = 40–56), 1636 (99.6%) had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers above the positivity threshold of the assay used. One-Way ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis H test showed a statistically significant difference in the median of antibody titers between the different age groups (p < 0.0001). Consistently, Spearman’s correlation coefficient (r) for IgGs and age as continuous variables was −0.2380 (p = 1.98 × 10−17). Moreover, antibody titers were slightly higher by 1.2-mean fold (p = 3 × 10−6) in the total female population of the three hospitals (median = 1594; IQR = 875–2584) as compared to males (median = 1292; IQR = 671.9–2188). The present study supports that BNT162b2 vaccine is particularly effective in producing high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels in healthy individuals, and this humoral response is age- and gender-dependent.

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Impact of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies in a longitudinal cohort of healthcare workers

10.1101/2021.09.16.21263576 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Diana Zhong ◽

Shaoming Xiao ◽

Amanda K Debes ◽

Emily R Egbert ◽

Patrizio Caturegli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Serum Sample ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Longitudinal Cohort ◽

Vaccine Type ◽

Antibody Levels

Waning serum antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have sparked discussions about long-term immunity and need for vaccine boosters. We examined SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies in a longitudinal cohort, comparing antibody decay in individuals who received an mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. We completed a longitudinal cohort of healthcare workers (HWs) between June 2020 and September 2021. HWs were included if they had a serum sample collected after SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or a serum sample collected ≥ 14 days after second dose of an mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Linear regression models adjusting for vaccine type, age, and sex were used to compare post-vaccination antibody levels between 1) HWs with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and 2) HWs with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection ≤ 90 days and > 90 days prior to first vaccine. Serum was collected from 98 HWs after SARS-CoV-2 infection and before vaccine, and 1960 HWs ≥ 14 days following second vaccine dose. Serum spike antibody levels were higher after vaccination than after natural infection. Compared to SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals, those with prior infection maintained higher post-vaccination mean spike IgG values at 1, 3, and 6 months, after adjusting for age, sex, and vaccine type. Individuals with PCR-confirmed infection > 90 days before vaccination had higher post-vaccination antibody levels than individuals infected ≤ 90 days before vaccination. Individuals with three exposures to spike protein maintain the highest antibody levels particularly when first and second exposures were greater than 90 days apart. A booster dose provides a third exposure and may similarly induce a more durable antibody response.

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IMPACT OF VACCINATION ON COVID INFECTION IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN WESTERN ZONE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

10.36106/paripex/6501060 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 31-34

Author(s):

C.S. Anand ◽

Hafeezunissa Rehman ◽

K. Krishna Kumar ◽

Brham Prakash ◽

Subodh Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Severity ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

Care Workers ◽

Western Zone

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are highly exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection. HCWs are also likely source of infection of their family members .COVID-19 Vaccination programs started during December 2020 in several countries and prioritized healthcare workers (HCWs).The vaccination campaign coincided with the second surge of COVID cases in Western part of India.This study assess the prevalence of COVID19 infection and disease severity in vaccinated HCWs. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 cases was 6.3% of vaccinated HCWs. Most infection cases occurred within two weeks of the first vaccine dose. Out of total HCWs 87.4% were mild, 11.1% were moderate, and 1.5% were severe cases.This study stresses on early identification of asymptomatic carriers in vaccinated individuals.Even vaccinated HCWs might spread the infection leading to hospital outbreaks.With the emergence of newer strains of Covid 19 and amid the rising cases of Delta variant across the globe,adequate infection control practices like masking,social distancing,appropriate PPE and hand sanitization and vaccination are mandatory.However,disease severity is milder post vaccination.It is important to distinguish symptoms of side effects post vaccination from COVID infection even in vaccinated HCW in pandemic.

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Differences in the Concentration of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies Post-COVID-19 Recovery or Post-Vaccination

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10081952 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1952

Author(s):

Andrzej Tretyn ◽

Joanna Szczepanek ◽

Monika Skorupa ◽

Joanna Jarkiewicz-Tretyn ◽

Dorota Sandomierz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cellular Response ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Population Based ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Almost All ◽

New Generation

At the end of 2020, population-based vaccination programs with new generation mRNA-based vaccines began almost all over the world. The aim of the study was to evaluate the titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies against the S1 subunit of the virus’s spike protein as a marker of the humoral response in 477 patients and the concentration of interferon-gamma as an indicator of cellular response in 28 individuals. In our studies, we used serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. IgG was measured in weeks 2 and 3 after the first dose and 1–5 weeks after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine in seropositive and seronegative individuals as well as in symptomatic and asymptomatic convalescents. High levels of antibodies were observed in 98% of our vaccinated cohort, and the presence of protective T cells was confirmed in the blood samples of all participants. The humoral immune response is diversified and is visible as early as 2–3 weeks after the first dose of the mRNA vaccine. The level of protection increased significantly after the second dose, with the increase being much greater in pre-vaccine healthy subjects and less in convalescents. In the second and third weeks after the second dose, the concentration of IgG antibodies was the highest, and in the following weeks, it decreased gradually. Regular serological measurements on eight subjects show that antibody titers are lower four months after vaccination than before the second dose.

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Total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies measured 6 months after Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers

Journal of Medical Biochemistry ◽

10.5937/jomb0-33999 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Giuseppe Lippi ◽

Gian Luca Salvagno ◽

Brandon Michael Henry ◽

Laura Pighi ◽

Simone De Nitto

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Gradual Decline ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Median Serum ◽

Study Population ◽

Kinetics Of

Background: This study aimed at monitoring the kinetics of serum total anti-SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) antibodies in a cohort of healthcare workers after voluntary vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: The study population consisted of 787 healthcare workers (mean age 44±12 years; 66% females), who received two 30 μg doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, 3 weeks apart. Venous blood was drawn before the first vaccine dose, immediately before the second vaccine dose, and then at 1, 3 and 6 months after the second vaccine dose. Serological testing employed the total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies measurement with Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S chemiluminescent immunoassay.Results: The median serum levels of total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies reached the peak (1762 KU/L) 1 month after the second vaccine dose, but tended to progressively decline at the 3-month (1086 KU/L) and 6-month (802 KU/L) follow-up points. Overall, the values after 3- and 6-months were 37% and 57% lower than the corresponding concentrations measured at the peak. No healthcare worker had total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies below the method-dependent cut-off. The decline compared to the peak was more accentuated in baseline seropositive persons than in those who were baseline seronegative (74% vs. 52%) cohort. The 6-month post-vaccination anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in subjects aged <65 years remained over 2-fold higher than that measured in those aged ≥65 years (813 vs. 343 KU/L). Conclusions: Gradual decline of total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies occurred 6 months after Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination, though values remained higher than the method-dependent cut-off, with no case of seronegativization.

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Differences in the concentration of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies post-COVID-19 recovery or post-vaccination

10.21203/rs.3.rs-388040/v3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrzej Tretyn ◽

Joanna Szczepanek ◽

Monika Skorupa ◽

Joanna Jarkiewicz-Tretyn ◽

Dorota Sandomierz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cellular Response ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Population Based ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Almost All ◽

New Generation

Abstract At the end of 2020, population-based vaccination programs with new generation mRNA-based vaccines began almost all over the world. The aim of the study was to evaluate the titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies against the S1 subunit of the virus’s spike protein as a marker of the humoral response in 477 patients and the concentration of gamma interferon as an indicator of a cellular response in 28 individuals. In our studies, we used serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. IgG was measured in weeks 2 and 3 after the first dose and 1–5 weeks after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine in seropositive and seronegative individuals as well as in symptomatic and asymptomatic convalescents. High levels of antibodies were observed in 98% of our vaccinated cohort, and the presence of protective T cells was confirmed in the blood samples of all participants. The humoral immune response is diversified and is visible as early as 2–3 weeks after the first dose of the mRNA vaccine. The level of protection increased significantly after the second dose, with the increase being much greater in pre-vaccine healthy subjects and less in convalescents. In the second and third weeks after the second dose, the concentration of IgG antibodies was the highest, and in the following weeks, it decreased gradually. Regular serological measurements on eight subjects show that antibody titers are lower four months after vaccination than before the second dose.

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Comparison of five commercial anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies and IgG immunoassays after vaccination with BNT162b2 mRNA

Journal of Medical Biochemistry ◽

10.5937/jomb0-31475 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elisa Danese ◽

Martina Montagnana ◽

Gian Luca Salvagno ◽

Matteo Gelati ◽

Denise Peserico ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibody Response ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Effective Strategy ◽

Baseline Assessment ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

The Mean

Background. Since universal vaccinations represents the most effective strategy to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), baseline assessment and post-vaccine monitoring of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies are essential to vaccination programs. Therefore, this study aimed to compare data of five commercial anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays after administration of BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. Methods. Venous blood was collected from three healthcare workers, receiving a double (30 μg) dose of Comirnaty, on the day of the first vaccine dose and then at fixed intervals for the following 2 months. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody response was assayed with Roche Total Ig anti-RBD, DiaSorin IgG anti-S1/S2, Beckman Coulter IgG anti-RBD, SNIBE IgG anti-RBD and Technogenetics IgG anti-N/S1. Results. A total number of 45 samples were drawn at the end of the 2-month study period. The Spearman’s correlations of absolute anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were always excellent (all p<0.001), comprised between 0.967-0.994. Satisfactory results were also observed when absolute anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies values of the five methods were compared with the mean consensus value, with correlations always higher than 0.979 (all p<0.001). The agreement of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies positivity versus the consensus median positivity ranged between 0.764 and 1.000 (always p<0.001), but become always >0.900 after readjustment of one assay cutoff. Conclusion. All the immunoassays evaluated in this study appear suitable for monitoring anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies response in subjects undergoing mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

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Vaccination strategy and anti - SARS-CoV-2 S titers in healthcare workers of the INT – IRCCS “Fondazione Pascale” Cancer Center (Naples, Italy)

Infectious Agents and Cancer ◽

10.1186/s13027-021-00375-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ernesta Cavalcanti ◽

Maria Antonietta Isgrò ◽

Domenica Rea ◽

Lucia Di Capua ◽

Giusy Trillò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Vaccination Strategy ◽

Antibody Responses ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

History Of

Abstract Background Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the resulting disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have spread to millions of people globally, requiring the development of billions of different vaccine doses. The SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccine (named BNT162b2/Pfizer), authorized by the FDA, has shown high efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection after administration of two doses in individuals 16 years of age and older. In the present study, we retrospectively evaluated the differences in the SARS-CoV-2 humoral immune response after vaccine administration in the two different cohorts of workers at the INT - IRCCS “Fondazione Pascale” Cancer Center (Naples, Italy): previously infected to SARS-CoV-2 subjects and not infected to SARS-CoV-2 subjects. Methods We determined specific anti-RBD (receptor-binding domain) titers against trimeric spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 by Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay in serum samples of 35 healthcare workers with a previous documented history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 158 healthcare workers without, after 1 and 2 doses of vaccine, respectively. Moreover, geometric mean titers and relative fold changes (FC) were calculated. Results Both previously infected and not infected to SARS-CoV-2 subjects developed significant immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 after the administration of 1 and 2 doses of vaccine, respectively. Anti-S antibody responses to the first dose of vaccine were significantly higher in previously SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects in comparison to titers of not infected subjects after the first as well as the second dose of vaccine. Fold changes for subjects previously infected to SARS-CoV-2 was very modest, given the high basal antibody titer, as well as the upper limit of 2500.0 BAU/mL imposed by the Roche methods. Conversely, for naïve subjects, mean fold change following the first dose was low ($$ \overline{x} $$ x ¯ =1.6), reaching 3.8 FC in 72 subjects (45.6%) following the second dose. Conclusions The results showed that, as early as the first dose, SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals developed a remarkable and statistically significant immune response in comparison to those who did not contract the virus previously, suggesting the possibility of administering only one dose in previously SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects. FC for previously infected subjects should not be taken into account for the generally high pre-vaccination values. Conversely, FC for not infected subjects, after the second dose, were = 3.8 in > 45.0% of vaccinees, and ≤ 3.1 in 19.0%, the latter showing a potential susceptibility to further SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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