WASHINGTON: Less than half of patients with hematologic malignancies developed detectable antibodies after initial COVID-19 vaccination, but 56 percent of “non-responders” developed antibodies after receiving a booster dose, according to a recent study. .
The research findings were published in the journal Cancer.
for study, Thomas OlillaBrown University MD, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed antibody responses to early and booster COVID-19 vaccination in 378 patients with hematologic malignancies.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in the blood of 181 patients (48 percent) after initial vaccination with one of three US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines, and active Patients with cancer or those who had recently been treated with an immune cell-depleting therapy were less likely to produce these antibodies.
In patients who did not mount an antibody response after initial vaccination, reactions following a booster dose were observed in 48 of the 85 (56 percent) patients evaluated.
By the end of February 2022, 33 patients (8.8 per cent) developed a Covid-19 infection with three deaths (0.8 per cent) related to Covid-19. Although there was no significant association between antibody response after vaccination and the incidence of COVID-19 infection, none of the patients with antibody responses to Covid-19 died.
Also, any patient who did not receive tixgevimab Plus silgavimab was diagnosed with Covid-19 infection. Tixagevimab and cilgavimab are antibody therapies that bind to non-overlapping parts of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, preventing the virus from binding to and infecting cells. The FDA authorized combination therapy for emergency use during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help prevent COVID-19 infection in certain individuals.
“Our findings are based on a wealth of literature showing that patients with hematological malignancies have a poor response to COVID vaccination. Importantly, we show that many of these patients who did not initially respond were in fact boosters. There will be a response to vaccination,” said Dr. Olila.
“In addition, when we looked at the results, we found that among the patients we reviewed, deaths from COVID-19 occurred only in those who could not be identified, and those receiving prophylactic antibody therapy. None were diagnosed with COVID-19. This suggests to us the importance of checking antibody levels and administering prophylactic antibody therapy in these patients.”
Dr. Olila encourages patients to prioritize providing booster vaccines and prophylactic antibody therapy when indicated. “This is real-world evidence that these actions can save lives,” he said.
The research findings were published in the journal Cancer.
for study, Thomas OlillaBrown University MD, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed antibody responses to early and booster COVID-19 vaccination in 378 patients with hematologic malignancies.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in the blood of 181 patients (48 percent) after initial vaccination with one of three US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines, and active Patients with cancer or those who had recently been treated with an immune cell-depleting therapy were less likely to produce these antibodies.
In patients who did not mount an antibody response after initial vaccination, reactions following a booster dose were observed in 48 of the 85 (56 percent) patients evaluated.
By the end of February 2022, 33 patients (8.8 per cent) developed a Covid-19 infection with three deaths (0.8 per cent) related to Covid-19. Although there was no significant association between antibody response after vaccination and the incidence of COVID-19 infection, none of the patients with antibody responses to Covid-19 died.
Also, any patient who did not receive tixgevimab Plus silgavimab was diagnosed with Covid-19 infection. Tixagevimab and cilgavimab are antibody therapies that bind to non-overlapping parts of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, preventing the virus from binding to and infecting cells. The FDA authorized combination therapy for emergency use during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help prevent COVID-19 infection in certain individuals.
“Our findings are based on a wealth of literature showing that patients with hematological malignancies have a poor response to COVID vaccination. Importantly, we show that many of these patients who did not initially respond were in fact boosters. There will be a response to vaccination,” said Dr. Olila.
“In addition, when we looked at the results, we found that among the patients we reviewed, deaths from COVID-19 occurred only in those who could not be identified, and those receiving prophylactic antibody therapy. None were diagnosed with COVID-19. This suggests to us the importance of checking antibody levels and administering prophylactic antibody therapy in these patients.”
Dr. Olila encourages patients to prioritize providing booster vaccines and prophylactic antibody therapy when indicated. “This is real-world evidence that these actions can save lives,” he said.