The Immune Response in Patients after COVID-19 Vaccination

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 6538

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pulmonary Department, Corfu General Hospital, 49100 Corfu, Greece
Interests: sarcoidosis; interstitial lung diseases; small airway diseases; interventional pulmonology; infectious diseases

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Rheumatology, University of Illinois System, Chicago, IL, USA
Interests: sarcoidosis; scleroderma; rheumatoid arthritis; ILD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most healthy individuals have had one booster vaccination for COVID-19, while patients with immunocompromised conditions/treatments have had two booster doses. Evidence suggests that patients with such conditions (connective tissue diseases, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, subjects on intensive immunosuppressant treatments) exhibit a reduced response to vaccination.

There is also evidence that vaccines other than those designed specifically against COVID-19 may confer protection against this disease by the activation of innate immunity. Individuals with other diseases, such as sarcoidosis, are reportedly more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, but results regarding outcome and mortality are contradictory. Guidelines suggest that vaccination in specific sub-populations should account for medication and the intensity of immunosuppressants administered.

Moreover, the evolution of new COVID-19 mutations and strains further aggravate the uncertainty about the effectiveness of current vaccines’ immune response.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to investigate the immunization response, vaccination status, and clinical outcomes in immunocompetent and immunocompromised adults, especially those with sarcoidosis, other interstitial lung diseases or other immunosuppressant statuses, from an immunological or clinical perspective. We look forward to your contributions to this Special Issue, which we hope will contribute to the knowledge regarding this emerging landscape.

Dr. Ilias C. Papanikolaou
Dr. Nadera J. Sweiss
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • vaccination
  • immune response
  • immunocompromised
  • interstitial lung diseases

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 1221 KiB  
Article
SARS-CoV-2 Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in People Living with HIV
by Simona Ruta, Corneliu Petru Popescu, Lilia Matei, Camelia Grancea, Adrian Marius Paun, Cristiana Oprea and Camelia Sultana
Vaccines 2024, 12(6), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12060663 - 16 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1219
Abstract
Immunosuppressed individuals, such as people living with HIV (PLWH), remain vulnerable to severe COVID-19. We analyzed the persistence of specific SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immune responses in a retrospective, cross-sectional study in PLWH on antiretroviral therapy. Among 104 participants, 70.2% had anti-S IgG [...] Read more.
Immunosuppressed individuals, such as people living with HIV (PLWH), remain vulnerable to severe COVID-19. We analyzed the persistence of specific SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immune responses in a retrospective, cross-sectional study in PLWH on antiretroviral therapy. Among 104 participants, 70.2% had anti-S IgG antibodies, and 55.8% had significant neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant in a surrogate virus neutralization test. Only 38.5% were vaccinated (8.76 ± 4.1 months prior), all displaying anti-S IgG, 75% with neutralizing antibodies and anti-S IgA. Overall, 29.8% of PLWH had no SARS-CoV-2 serologic markers; they displayed significantly lower CD4 counts and higher HIV viral load. Severe immunosuppression (present in 12.5% of participants) was linked to lower levels of detectable anti-S IgG (p = 0.0003), anti-S IgA (p < 0.0001) and lack of neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant (p < 0.0001). T-cell responses were present in 86.7% of tested participants, even in those lacking serological markers. In PLWH without severe immunosuppression, neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses persisted for up to 9 months post-infection or vaccination. Advanced immunosuppression led to diminished humoral immune responses but retained specific cellular immunity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Immune Response in Patients after COVID-19 Vaccination)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 871 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Natural and Acquired Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis
by Marko Baralić, Mirjana Laušević, Danica Ćujić, Ana Bontić, Jelena Pavlović, Voin Brković, Aleksandra Kezić, Kristina Mihajlovski, Lara Hadži Tanović, Iman Assi Milošević, Jovana Lukić, Marija Gnjatović, Aleksandra Todorović, Nikola M. Stojanović, Dijana Jovanović and Milan Radović
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020135 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1793
Abstract
The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus had a great impact on the population of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study demonstrates the impact of infection and vaccination in 66 patients treated with PD and their outcomes during a 6-month follow-up. [...] Read more.
The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus had a great impact on the population of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study demonstrates the impact of infection and vaccination in 66 patients treated with PD and their outcomes during a 6-month follow-up. This is the first research that has studied the dynamics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in serum and effluent. In our research, 57.6% of PD patients were vaccinated, predominantly with Sinopharm (81.6%), which was also the most frequently administered vaccine in the Republic of Serbia at the beginning of immunization. During the monitoring period, the level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the PD patients had an increasing trend in serum. In the group of vaccinated patients with PD, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies had an increasing trend in both serum and effluent, in contrast to non-vaccinated patients, where they decreased in effluent regardless of the trend of increase in serum, but statistical significance was not reached. In contrast to vaccinated (immunized) patients who did not acquire infection, the patients who only underwent the COVID-19 infection, but were not immunized, were more prone to reinfection upon the outbreak of a new viral strain, yet without severe clinical presentation and with no need for hospital treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Immune Response in Patients after COVID-19 Vaccination)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 489 KiB  
Review
Vaccination in the Era of Immunosuppression
by Fatima Alnaimat, Jaleel Jerry G. Sweis, Jacqueline Jansz, Zeel Modi, Supritha Prasad, Ayman AbuHelal, Christen Vagts, Hali A. Hanson, Christian Ascoli, Richard M. Novak, Ilias C. Papanikolaou, Israel Rubinstein and Nadera Sweiss
Vaccines 2023, 11(9), 1446; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11091446 - 1 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2874
Abstract
Patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) are at increased risk for severe infections. Vaccine responses and safety profiles may differ between AIIRD patients and the general population. While patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) often experience diminished humoral responses and reduced [...] Read more.
Patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) are at increased risk for severe infections. Vaccine responses and safety profiles may differ between AIIRD patients and the general population. While patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) often experience diminished humoral responses and reduced vaccine efficacy, factors such as the type of immunosuppressant medications used and the specific vaccine employed contribute to these outcomes. Notably, individuals undergoing B cell depletion therapy tend to have poor vaccine immunogenicity. However, despite these considerations, vaccine responses are generally considered clinically sufficient. Ideally, immunosuppressed AIIRD patients should receive vaccinations at least two weeks before commencing immunosuppressive treatment. However, it is common for many patients to already be on immunosuppressants during the immunization process. Vaccination rarely triggers flares in AIIRDs; if flares occur, they are typically mild. Despite the heightened infection risk, including COVID-19, among AIIRD patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, and other diseases on immunosuppressants, the vaccination rates remain suboptimal. The future directions of vaccination in the era of immunosuppression will likely involve customized vaccines with enhanced adjuvants and alternative delivery methods. By addressing the unique challenges faced by immunosuppressed individuals, we may improve vaccine efficacy, reduce the risk of infections, and ultimately enhance the health outcomes. Additionally, clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of temporarily discontinuing immunosuppressants during vaccination in various AIIRDs are crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Immune Response in Patients after COVID-19 Vaccination)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop