SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike Antibodies After Vaccination in Pediatric Heart Transplantation: A First Report

Authors

Joseph A Spinner
Christopher L Julien
Lily Olayinka
William J Dreyer
Claire E Bocchini
Flor M Munoz
Sridevi Devaraj

Publication Date

2-1-2022

Journal

The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation

DOI

10.1016/j.healun.2021.11.001

PMID

34911654

PMCID

PMC8590844

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

11-14-2021

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Adolescent, Age Factors, Antibodies, Viral, Antibody Formation, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccines, Child, Female, Heart Transplantation, Humans, Male, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus, Young Adult, pediatric heart transplant, SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

BACKGROUND: BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data regarding the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in children after solid organ transplant.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike IgG antibodies measured following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at our pediatric heart transplant (HTx) center.

RESULTS: Among patients (median age 17.1 years) in whom antibody testing was performed (median 118 days post-vaccine completion), a SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike IgG antibody was detected in 28 of 40 (70%) post-HTx recipients (median antibody level 10.9 AU/ml). Neutropenia, diabetes mellitus, and previous use of rituximab were associated with absence of a detectable antibody. All 7 post-HTx patients with a known pre-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 viral infection had a detectable SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike IgG. All 12 vaccinated pre-HTx patients had a detectable antibody (median antibody level 11.6 AU/ml) including 5 patients that maintained detectable antibodies post-HTx. There were no cases of myocarditis among the total of 17 pre-HTx and 81 post-HTx patients that underwent SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a significant proportion of pediatric HTx recipients have no detectable antibody response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and support the recommendation to complete the vaccination series prior to HTx in those pediatric patients waiting for HTx.