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.
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