Brief Research Report : Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunity in Long Lasting Responders to Cancer Immunotherapy Through mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccination
Sisteré-Oró, Marta (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Wortmann, Diana D. J. (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Andrade, Naína (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Aguilar-Hernández, Andrés (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Mayo de las Casas, Clara (Hospital Universitari Dexeus (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Casabal, Florencia Garcia (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Torres, Susana (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Bona Salinas, Eduardo (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Raventos Soler, Laura (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Arcas, Andrea (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Esparre, Carlos (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Garcia, Beatriz (Hospital Universitari Dexeus (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Valarezo, Joselyn (Hospital Universitari Dexeus (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Rosell, Rafael (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol. Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol)
Güerri-Fernández, Robert (Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Gonzalez-Cao, Maria (Hospital Quiron-Dexeus Barcelona)
Meyerhans, Andreas (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2022
Abstract:	Cancer patients (CPs) have been identified as particularly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and therefore are a priority group for receiving COVID-19 vaccination. From the patients with advanced solid tumors, about 20% respond very efficiently to immunotherapy with anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies and achieve long lasting cancer responses. It is unclear whether an efficient cancer-specific immune response may also correlate with an efficient response upon COVID-19 vaccination. Here, we explored the antiviral immune response to the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 in a group of 11 long-lasting cancer immunotherapy responders. We analysed the development of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG serum antibodies, virus neutralizing capacities and T cell responses. Control groups included patients treated with adjuvant cancer immunotherapy (IMT, cohort B), CPs not treated with immunotherapy (no-IMT, cohort C) and healthy controls (cohort A). The median ELISA IgG titers significantly increased after the prime-boost COVID vaccine regimen in all cohorts (Cohort A: pre-vaccine = 900 (100-2700), 3 weeks (w) post-boost = 24300 (2700-72900); Cohort B: pre-vaccine = 300 (100-2700), 3 w post-boost = 8100 (300-72900); Cohort C: pre-vaccine = 500 (100-2700), 3 w post-boost = 24300 (300-72900)). However, at the 3 w post-prime time-point, only the healthy control group showed a statistically significant increase in antibody levels (Cohort A = 8100 (900-8100); Cohort B = 900 (300-8100); Cohort C = 900 (300-8100)) (P < 0. 05). Strikingly, while all healthy controls generated high-level antibody responses after the complete prime-boost regimen (Cohort A = 15/15 (100%), not all CPs behaved alike [Cohort B= 12/14 (84'6%); Cohort C= 5/6 (83%)]. Their responses, including those of the long-lasting immunotherapy responders, were more variable (Cohort A: 3 w post-boost (median nAb titers = 95. 32 (84. 09-96. 93), median Spike-specific IFN-γ response = 64 (24-150); Cohort B: 3 w post-boost (median nAb titers = 85. 62 (8. 22-97. 19), median Spike-specific IFN-γ response (28 (1-372); Cohort C: 3 w post-boost (median nAb titers = 95. 87 (11. 8-97. 3), median Spike-specific IFN-γ response = 67 (20-84)). Two long-lasting cancer responders did not respond properly to the prime-boost vaccination and did not generate S-specific IgGs, neutralizing antibodies or virus-specific T cells, although their cancer immune control persisted for years. Thus, although mRNA-based vaccines can induce both antibody and T cell responses in CPs, the immune response to COVID vaccination is independent of the capacity to develop an efficient anti-cancer immune response to anti PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2019-106323RB-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Cancer ; COVID-19 vaccination ; Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) ; Immunotherapy ; Long lasting responders ; MRNA-based vaccines ; SARS-CoV-2
Published in:	Frontiers in immunology, Vol. 13 (july 2022) , ISSN 1664-3224

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.908108
PMID: 35911701

11 p, 918.0 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
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