Photo Credit: Maria Symchych-Navrotska

The following is a summary of “PMMA dialyzers modulate both humoral and cell-mediate immune response to anti-COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) in a cohort of chronic hemodialyzed patients,” published in the May 2024 issue of Nephrology by Castellano et al.

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) face a high risk of death from COVID-19. Researchers conducted a prospective study examining the efficacy of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine in patients with HD, comparing 2 types of treatments, Poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and Polysulphone (PS).

They reviewed samples collected from patients with HD before vaccination (T0) and 14 days after the second dose (T2). Later, 2 groups were formed (TG, n=16, Foggia), and a validation group was formed (VG, n=36, Novara). Anti-SARS-CoV-2-Ig was measured along with analyzing serum neutralizing antibodies (NAb) and PBMCs’ response using a SARS-CoV-2 IGRA stimulation tube set. 

The results showed that all patients except 1 had a positive antibody response. Patients with PMMA treatment had higher levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (P=0.031), confirmed by VG data (P<0.05). For NAb, most patients with PMMA treatment passed the positive cut-off value, while only 1/8 of patients undergoing PS did not respond. Patients in PMMA treatment had higher percentages of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1/RBD-Ig after completing the vaccine schedule (P=0.028) and showed significantly higher IFNγ release (P=0.014). The complete vaccination course provided sufficient protection against SARS-CoV-2 for all patients, regardless of dialyzer type.

Investigators concluded that patients undergoing PMMA showed a more humoral and cellular immune response than patients in PS after vaccination.

Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-024-62044-9