Assessment of Immune Response to the COVID-19 Vaccination in Egyptian Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

Background: COVID-19 is a global health crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 and associated with higher morbidity and mortality in patients on maintenance Haemodialysis (HD). Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but especially those with End-stage renal disease (ESRD), treated with maintenance HD tend to have a reduced immune response to infection or vaccination.
Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the immune response following vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccines in patients with maintenance HD and the factors associated with it.
Patients and methods: This prospective observational comparative study included 44 patients with ESRD on maintenance HD had been done in the Internal Medicine and Clinical Pathology Departments, Zagazig University Hospital. Another 20 vaccinated non-renal patients were considered controls. SARS-COV2 IgG was estimated using an ELISA assay.
Results: There is a lower significant value of SARS COVID igG in renal dialysis patients compared to the control group regarding sex, smoking habit, and obesity. Also, there is a lower significant value of SARS COVID IgG in renal dialysis patients compared to the control group regarding the history of COVID19 infection before vaccination and occurrence of post-vaccine adverse effects. There is a higher significant SARS COVID igG value for males and smokers in the control group.
Conclusion: Hemodialysis patients demonstrate a hyporesponsiveness to vaccination against COVID-19. Although most patients on maintenance hemodialysis developed a substantial humoral response following the COVID vaccine, it was significantly lower than controls.