Humoral response to two doses of BNT162b2 vaccination in people with HIV
Line Dam Heftdal, Andreas Dehlbæk Knudsen, Sebastian Rask Hamm, Cecilie Bo Hansen, Dina Leth Møller, Mia Marie Pries‐Heje, Kamille Fogh, Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch, Ida Jarlhelt, Laura Pérez‐Alós, Linda Hilsted, Sisse Rye Ostrowski, Jan Gerstoft, Kirsten Grønbæk, Henning Bundgaard, Kasper Iversen, Peter Garred, Susanne Dam Nielsen
Abstract
BACKGROUND: People with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. We aimed to determine humoral responses in PWH and controls who received two doses of BNT162b2. METHODS: In 269 PWH and 538 age-matched controls, we measured IgG and neutralizing antibodies specific for the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 at baseline, 3 weeks and 2 months after the first dose of BNT162b2. RESULTS: IgG antibodies increased from baseline to 3 weeks and from 3 weeks to 2 months in both groups, but the concentrations of IgG antibodies were lower in PWH than that in controls at 3 weeks and 2 months (p = 0.025 and <0.001), respectively. The IgG titres in PWH with a humoral response at 2 months were 77.9% (95% confidence interval [62.5%-97.0%], age- and sex-adjusted p = 0.027) of controls. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced IgG antibody response to vaccination with BNT162b2 was found in PWH, and thus increased awareness of breakthrough infections in PWH is needed.