{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in cancer patients after COVID-19 vaccination during the Omicron wave: a prospective study.
{Author}: Muñoz-Gómez MJ;Ryan P;Quero-Delgado M;Martin-Vicente M;Cuevas G;Valencia J;Jiménez E;Blanca-López N;Lara-Álvarez MÁ;Hernández-Rivas JÁ;Redondo G;Mas V;Sepúlveda-Crespo D;Vázquez M;Torres-Macho J;Martínez I;Resino S;
{Journal}: J Infect Public Health
{Volume}: 17
{Issue}: 7
{Year}: 2024 Jul 7
{Factor}: 7.537
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102473
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Cancer patients often have weakened immune systems, resulting in a lower response to vaccines, especially those receiving immunosuppressive oncological treatment (OT). We aimed to assess the impact of OT on the humoral and T-cell response to the B.1 lineage and Omicron variant following COVID-19 vaccination in patients with solid and hematological neoplasms.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We conducted a prospective study on cancer patients, stratified into OT and non-OT groups, who received a two-dose series of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and a booster six months later. The outcomes measured were the humoral (anti-SARS-CoV-2 S IgG titers and ACE2-S interaction inhibition capacity) and cellular (SARS-CoV-2 S-specific T-cell spots per million PBMCs) responses against the B.1 lineage and Omicron variant. These responses were evaluated four weeks after the second dose (n = 98) and eight weeks after the booster dose (n = 71).<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>The humoral response after the second vaccine dose against the B.1 lineage and Omicron variant was significantly weaker in the OT group compared to the non-OT group (q-value<0.05). A booster dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine significantly improved the humoral response in the OT group, making it comparable to the non-OT group. The mRNA-1273 vaccine, designed for the original Wuhan strain, elicited a weaker humoral response against the Omicron variant compared to the B.1 lineage, regardless of oncological treatment or vaccine dose. In contrast, T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2, including the Omicron variant, were already present after the second vaccine dose and were not significantly affected by oncological treatments.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Cancer patients, particularly those receiving immunosuppressive oncological treatments, should require booster doses and adapted COVID-19 vaccines for new SARS-CoV-2 variants like Omicron. Future studies should evaluate the durability of the immune response and the efficacy of individualized regimens.