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Vaccines
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Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular...
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Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021)

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Christina Bahrs

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University, 07743 Jena, Germany
2. Department of Medicine I, Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Interests: humoral and cell-mediated immune response to microbes; vaccination and infection in the immunocompromised host and in the elderly; tick-borne encephalitis vaccination; pneumococcal vaccination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The immunocompromised patient has an increased risk of any type of infectious disease, including vaccine-preventable diseases, and often suffers a severe course. Although inactivated vaccines can be safely administered even in severely immunocompromised patients, vaccine rates are particularly low in this vulnerable population. The tailoring of vaccine strategies to the needs of immunosuppressed patients relies on a better understanding of what supports or limits vaccine efficacy. In addition to antibody-mediated protection, cellular immunity is of particular importance, as T cell responses also participate in the reduction, control, and clearance of pathogens. Therefore, articles adding new information on vaccine-induced, cell-mediated immune response in immunocompromised patients are welcome. Adding new information on this subject may lead to a better understanding of the immune response to available vaccines or new vaccine candidates in these particularly vulnerable patients and might help in optimizing vaccine strategies in the future.

Dr. Christina Bahrs
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Dr. Christina Bahrs
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Cellular immune response to vaccination
  • lymphocyte proliferation
  • cytokine response
  • humoral immunity to vaccination
  • vaccine responders versus non-responders
  • immunocompromised host
  • allogeneic stem cell transplant
  • organ transplant
  • immunosuppression

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 206 KiB  
Editorial
Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity
by Christina Bahrs and Nicole Harrison
Vaccines 2022, 10(6), 882; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10060882 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1220
Abstract
During the last few years, we have experienced a shift in how we evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 1112 KiB  
Article
Lack of Induction of RBD-Specific Neutralizing Antibodies despite Repeated Heterologous SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Leading to Seroconversion and Establishment of T Cell-Specific Memory in a Patient in Remission of Multiple Myeloma
by Bernhard Kratzer, Doris Trapin, Pia Gattinger, Teresa Oberhofer, Al Nasar Ahmed Sehgal, Petra Waidhofer-Söllner, Arno Rottal, Ulrike Körmöczi, Katharina Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Gerhard H. Kopetzky, Franz Tischer, Rudolf Valenta and Winfried F. Pickl
Vaccines 2022, 10(3), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10030374 - 27 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3152
Abstract
Background: Prophylactic vaccination against infectious diseases may induce a state of long-term protection in the otherwise healthy host. However, the situation is less predictable in immunocompromised patients and may require adjustment of vaccination schedules and/or basic therapy. Methods: A patient in full remission [...] Read more.
Background: Prophylactic vaccination against infectious diseases may induce a state of long-term protection in the otherwise healthy host. However, the situation is less predictable in immunocompromised patients and may require adjustment of vaccination schedules and/or basic therapy. Methods: A patient in full remission of multiple myeloma since the last three years and on long-term maintenance therapy with pomalidomide, a drug inhibiting angiogenesis and myeloma cell growth, was vaccinated twice with Comirnaty followed by two vaccinations with Vaxzevria. Seroconversion and SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular responses were monitored. Results: No signs of seroconversion or T cellular memory were observed after the first “full immunization” with Comirnaty. Consequently, long-term-maintenance therapy with Pomalidomide was stopped and two additional shots of Vaxzevria were administered after which the patient seroconverted with Spike(S)-protein specific antibody levels reaching 49 BAU/mL, mild S-peptide pool-specific T cell proliferation, effector cytokine production (IL-2, IL-13), and T cellular activation with increased numbers of CD3+CD4+CD25+ T cells as compared to vaccinated and non-vaccinated control subjects. However, despite suspension of immunosuppression and administration of in total four consecutive heterologous SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shots, the patient did not develop neutralizing RBD-specific antibodies. Conclusions: Despite immunomonitoring-based adjustment of vaccination and/or therapy schedules vaccination success, with clear correlates of protection, the development of RBD-specific antibodies could not be achieved in the immunocompromised patient with current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Thus, our report emphasizes the need for improved active and passive immunization strategies for SARS-CoV-2 infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity)
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13 pages, 3278 KiB  
Article
Establishment of an ELISpot Assay to Detect Cellular Immunity against S. pneumoniae in Vaccinated Kidney Transplant Recipients
by Anja Gäckler, Nils Mülling, Kim Völk, Benjamin Wilde, Ute Eisenberger, Hana Rohn, Peter A. Horn, Oliver Witzke and Monika Lindemann
Vaccines 2021, 9(12), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9121438 - 06 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2336
Abstract
In organ transplant recipients, the rate of invasive pneumococcal diseases is 25 times greater than in the general population. Vaccination against S. pneumoniae is recommended in this cohort because it reduces the incidence of this severe form of pneumococcal infection. Previous studies indicate [...] Read more.
In organ transplant recipients, the rate of invasive pneumococcal diseases is 25 times greater than in the general population. Vaccination against S. pneumoniae is recommended in this cohort because it reduces the incidence of this severe form of pneumococcal infection. Previous studies indicate that transplant recipients can produce specific antibodies after pneumococcal vaccination. However, it remains unclear if vaccination also induces specific cellular immunity. In the current study on 38 kidney transplant recipients, we established an interferon-γ ELISpot assay that can detect serotype-specific cellular responses against S. pneumoniae. The results indicate that sequential vaccination with the conjugated vaccine Prevenar 13 and the polysaccharide vaccine Pneumovax 23 led to an increase of serotype-specific cellular immunity. We observed the strongest responses against the serotypes 9N and 14, which are both components of Pneumovax 23. Cellular responses against S. pneumoniae correlated positively with specific IgG antibodies (r = 0.32, p = 0.12). In conclusion, this is the first report indicating that kidney transplant recipients can mount specific cellular responses after pneumococcal vaccination. The ELISpot we established will allow for further investigations. These could help to define, for example, factors influencing specific cellular immunity in immunocompromised cohorts or the duration of cellular immunity after vaccination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity)
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15 pages, 4912 KiB  
Article
Humoral and Cellular Vaccination Responses against SARS-CoV-2 in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients
by Monika Lindemann, Vesna Klisanin, Laura Thümmler, Neslinur Fisenkci, Nikolaos Tsachakis-Mück, Markus Ditschkowski, Sina Schwarzkopf, Hannes Klump, Hans Christian Reinhardt, Peter A. Horn and Michael Koldehoff
Vaccines 2021, 9(10), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9101075 - 25 Sep 2021
Cited by 49 | Viewed by 3263
Abstract
The cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients is not yet clear. In the current study, HSCT recipients prior to and post vaccination were tested for SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular immunity. Antibodies against spike (S) [...] Read more.
The cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients is not yet clear. In the current study, HSCT recipients prior to and post vaccination were tested for SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular immunity. Antibodies against spike (S) 1 were assessed by Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA (Euroimmun). Cellular immunity was analyzed by an in house interferon-gamma ELISpot and T-SPOT.COVID (Oxford Immunotec), using altogether seven SARS-CoV-2-specific antigens. In 117 HSCT patients vaccinated twice, SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were significantly higher than in HSCT controls pre vaccination (p < 0.0001). After the second vaccination, we observed a median antibody ratio of 4.7 and 68% positive results, whereas 35 healthy controls reached a median ratio of 9.0 and 100% positivity. ELISpot responses in patients were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced to ≤33% of the controls. After the second vaccination, female HSCT patients and female healthy controls showed significantly higher antibody responses than males (6.0 vs. 2.1 and 9.2 vs. 8.2, respectively; p < 0.05). Cellular immunity was diminished in patients irrespective of sex. In conclusion, especially male HSCT recipients showed impaired antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Changing the vaccine schedule or composition could help increase vaccine responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity)
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16 pages, 1873 KiB  
Article
Tick-Borne Encephalitis Specific Lymphocyte Response after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Predicts Humoral Immunity after Vaccination
by Nicole Harrison, Katharina Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Alexandra Graf, Doris Trapin, Peter Tauber, Judith H. Aberle, Karin Stiasny, Ralf Schmidt, Hildegard Greinix, Werner Rabitsch, Michael Ramharter, Heinz Burgmann, Winfried F. Pickl and Christina Bahrs
Vaccines 2021, 9(8), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9080908 - 15 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2052
Abstract
The aim of this prospective study was to assess lymphocyte proliferative and cytokine response prior to and following tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) immunization among patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Seventeen adult patients 11–13 months after HSCT and eight unvaccinated healthy adults [...] Read more.
The aim of this prospective study was to assess lymphocyte proliferative and cytokine response prior to and following tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) immunization among patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Seventeen adult patients 11–13 months after HSCT and eight unvaccinated healthy adults received up to three TBE vaccinations. Following in vitro stimulation with TBE-antigen, lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion (IL-2, IL-10, IL-13, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, GM-CSF) were analyzed by thymidine incorporation assay and the Luminex system. Ten patients (59%) showed significant baseline TBE-specific lymphocyte proliferation (stimulation index (SI) > 3) prior to vaccination, but none of the unvaccinated controls (p = 0.002). All patients with a TBE-specific antibody response after two vaccinations (at least 2-fold increase of neutralization test titers) exhibited a strong TBE-specific lymphocyte proliferative response at baseline (SI > 10). Patients with sibling donors had a significantly stronger baseline TBE-specific lymphocyte proliferative and IL-13 cytokine response than patients with unrelated donors (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a relevant proportion of patients showed TBE-specific lymphocyte proliferative and cytokine responses prior to vaccination after HSCT, which predicted the humoral response to the vaccine. Patients with vaccinated sibling donors were more likely to elicit a cellular immune response than patients with unrelated donors of unknown vaccination status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

16 pages, 508 KiB  
Review
Cellular Immune Response after Vaccination in Patients with Cancer—Review on Past and Present Experiences
by Maria Madeleine Rüthrich, Nicola Giesen, Sibylle C. Mellinghoff, Christina T. Rieger and Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal
Vaccines 2022, 10(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10020182 - 25 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2599
Abstract
Patients with cancer are at particular risk for infection but also have diminished vaccine responses, usually quantified by the level of specific antibodies. Nonetheless, vaccines are specifically recommended in this vulnerable patient group. Here, we discuss the cellular part of the vaccine response [...] Read more.
Patients with cancer are at particular risk for infection but also have diminished vaccine responses, usually quantified by the level of specific antibodies. Nonetheless, vaccines are specifically recommended in this vulnerable patient group. Here, we discuss the cellular part of the vaccine response in patients with cancer. We summarize the experience with vaccines prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in different subgroups, and we discuss why, especially in patients with cancer, T cells may be the more reliable correlate of protection. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on options to improve the cellular response to vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccine Response in the Immunocompromised Patient with Focus on Cellular Immunity)
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