Humoral and cellular responses to mRNA-based COVID-19 booster vaccinations in patients with solid neoplasms under active treatment

• Published in: ESMO open Vol. 7; no. 5; p. 100587
• Main Authors: Su, E., S. Fischer, R. Demmer-Steingruber, Nigg, S., Güsewell, S., Albrich, W.C., Rothermundt, C., Silzle, T., Kahlert, C.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2022; The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society for Medical Oncology
• Subjects: Aged; Antibodies, Neutralizing; BNT162 Vaccine; cellular immunity; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Humans; humoral immunity; Immunization, Secondary; mRNA vaccine; mRNA Vaccines; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Original Research; RNA, Messenger; solid tumors; Vaccination; COVID-19; humoral immunity; cellular immunity; solid tumors; mRNA vaccine
• ISSN: 2059-7029; 2059-7029
• DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100587

Patients with cancer are at high risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Knowledge regarding the efficacy of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in actively treated cancer patients is limited as they had been excluded from the pivotal studies of these vaccines. We evaluated humoral and cellular immune responses in cancer patients after double vaccination and a booster dose and identified disease- and treatment-related factors associated with a reduced immune response. We also documented the number and outcome of breakthrough infections. Patients with metastatic solid malignancies undergoing active treatment were included if they had received two doses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 and a booster dose. Other causes of immunosuppression and previous COVID-19 infections (positive anti-nucleocapsid titers) were exclusion criteria. Anti-spike antibodies, neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and T-cell responses were assessed about 6 months after the two-dose vaccination and 4 weeks after the booster. Fifty-one patients had pre-booster and 46 post-booster measurements. Anti-spike titers after two vaccine doses were highly variable and significantly lower in older patients, during treatment with chemotherapy compared to targeted and endocrine treatments and in patients with low CD4+ or CD19+ cell counts. The booster dose led to a significant increase in anti-spike antibodies and nAbs, achieving almost uniformly high titers, irrespective of baseline and treatment factors. The cellular immune response was also significantly increased by the booster, however generally more stable and not influenced by baseline factors and treatment type. Seventeen patients (33%) experienced breakthrough infections, but none required hospital care or died from COVID-19. An mRNA vaccine booster dose is able to increase humoral and cellular immune responses and to overcome the immunosuppressive influence of baseline and treatment factors in cancer patients. Breakthrough infections were uniformly mild in this vaccinated high-risk population. •We provide data on humoral and cellular immunity after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in actively treated cancer patients.•We found highly variable anti-S titers after two doses; titers were influenced by several baseline and treatment factors.•The booster achieved uniformly higher anti-S titers; the influence of baseline factors could be overcome by the booster.•Spike-specific T-cell immunity was more stable and not influenced by baseline factors.•Even though many breakthrough infections were recorded during the Omicron wave, they were uniformly mild.