Measuring Anti-Spike Immunoglobulin G Antibody Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccination in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Lahore

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The current state of the evidence is equivocal for IgG antibody response to
COVID-19 vaccination in dialysis patients. Here, we assess the antibody concentration in dialysis patients
who have received a complete series of vaccines with or without a history of prior COVID infection
irrespective of the vaccine administered.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we obtained serum samples from 101 Hemodialysis patients and
compared the antibody level among those patients who had received a two-dosage vaccine regimen within
the last six months versus those who had completed the same regimen more than six months ago.
Participation in the study was completely voluntary by HD patients who gave informed consent and results
were noted in a designed proforma.
Results: Our study found that nearly three-quarters of patients (72.2%) received 2 dosages of Sinopharm or
Sinovac vaccine, and ninety-seven percent of participants were considered seropositive (COVID Ab titers >
7.1 BAU/ml). The average SARS-COV-2 spike antibody levels were 1892.4 BAU/mL, while the median
levels were 971 BAU/mL. Mean and median antibody titers were 1895.8 and 792 BAU/mLin the group who
had received the vaccine within the last six months as compared to 1981.1 and 1033 BAU/mLrespectively in
the group who had received the vaccine later than six months, with p-value 0.84 indicating no significant
difference. Additionally, there were no statistically significant variations in IgG antibodies observed when
examining subgroups based on diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), or gender. However,
it was found that older patients (aged >55 years) exhibited significantly higher anti-spike antibody titers
compared to younger patients (2417.8 BAU/mLvs. 1377.3 BAU/mL, Pvalue 0.008).
Conclusion: The result of this study provides important evidence, which can lead to vaccine efficacy,
especially in older populations. Future studies should address whether booster vaccination may play a role in
providing an effective and long-lasting protection among vulnerable patients undergoing hemodialysis care.