Scientific publications
Changes in Humoral Immune Response after SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Liver Transplant Recipients Compared to Immunocompetent Patients
Aránzazu Caballero-Marcos 1 2 , Magdalena Salcedo 1 2 , Roberto Alonso-Fernández 3 , Manuel Rodríguez-Perálvarez 2 4 , María Olmedo 3 , Javier Graus Morales 5 , Valentín Cuervas-Mons 6 7 , Alba Cachero 8 , Carmelo Loinaz-Segurola 9 , Mercedes Iñarrairaegui 10 , Lluís Castells 2 11 , Sonia Pascual 12 , Carmen Vinaixa-Aunés 2 13 , Rocío González-Grande 14 , Alejandra Otero 15 , Santiago Tomé 16 , Javier Tejedor-Tejada 17 , José María Álamo-Martínez 18 , Luisa González-Diéguez 19 , Flor Nogueras-Lopez 20 , Gerardo Blanco-Fernández 21 , Gema Muñoz-Bartolo 22 , Francisco Javier Bustamante 23 , Emilio Fábrega 2 24 , Mario Romero-Cristóbal 1 2 , Rosa Martin-Mateos 5 , Julia Del Rio-Izquierdo 2 , Ana Arias-Milla 6 , Laura Calatayud 25 , Alberto A Marcacuzco-Quinto 9 , Víctor Fernández-Alonso 1 , Concepción Gómez-Gavara 11 , Jordi Colmenero 2 26 , Patricia Muñoz 3 , José Antonio Pons 27 , Spanish Society of Liver Transplantation (SETH)
Abstract
The protective capacity and duration of humoral immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection is not yet understood in solid organ transplant recipients. A prospective multicenter study was performed to evaluate the persistence of anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies in liver transplant recipients 6 months after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resolution.
A total of 71 liver transplant recipients were matched with 71 immunocompetent controls by a propensity score including variables with a well-known prognostic impact in COVID-19. Paired case-control serological data was also available in 62 liver transplant patients and 62 controls at month 3 after COVID-19. Liver transplant recipients showed a lower incidence of anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at 3 months (77.4% vs. 100%, p<0.001) and at 6 months (63.4% vs. 90.1%, p<0.001).
Lower levels of antibodies were also observed in liver transplant patients at 3 (p=0.001) and 6 months (p<0.001) after COVID-19. In transplant patients, female gender (OR=13.49, 95%CI 2.17-83.8), a longer interval since transplantation (OR=1.19, 95%CI 1.03-1.36), and therapy with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (OR=7.11, 95%CI 1.47-34.50) were independently associated with persistence of antibodies beyond 6 months after COVID-19.
Therefore, as compared with immunocompetent patients, liver transplant recipients show a lower prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and more pronounced antibody levels decline.
CITATION Am J Transplant. 2021 Aug;21(8):2876-2884.
doi: 10.1111/ajt.16599. Epub 2021 Apr 27.
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