Immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in hemato-oncology patients - ImV-HOng

The kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein antibodies and the cellular immune landscape following vaccination in patients with hematologic neoplasms are poorly understood. The aim of our prospective and longitudinal study, which included 398 adults, was to compare day 35 and day 120 anti-spike-IgG antibody and day 120 SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses in patients with hematologic malignancies to a reference cohort. Although day 35 seroconversion in controls (98%) was higher compared to patients with myeloid (82%) and lymphoid (48%) neoplasms, substantial increases in day 120 seroconversion were seen in both the myeloid (97%) and lymphoid (66%) cohorts. Remarkably, spike-specific CD4+- and CD8+-cells in the lymphoid (71%/31%) and control (74%/42%) cohorts were comparable. We provide strong evidence of vaccine-elicited immunogenicity in most patients with hematologic malignancies. Both kinetics of seroconversion and cellular responses are crucial to determine which patients with hematologic malignancies will generate immunity. The findings have implications on public health policy regarding recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 booster doses.