Evaluation of the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration intervals for organ transplant recipients

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K16446
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55010:General surgery and pediatric surgery-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: TOMIYAMA Takahiro 九州大学, 医学研究院, 共同研究員 (80906339)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 / 肝移植 / 中和抗体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

SARS-CoV-2 is known to cause severe disease, especially in immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients, and prevention of infection and severe disease in organ transplant patients is an urgent issue. However, the efficacy of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in organ transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive drugs has not been clear. In this study, we compared the efficacy of mRNA vaccines in liver transplant patients with that in healthy controls by neutralizing antibody assays using Wuhan, Beta, and Omicron strains.

Free Research Field

肝移植

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

疾患を有しない健康な方と肝移植後のレシピエントでSARS-CoV-2に対するmRNAワクチン2回接種後の抗体量と質を比較した。肝移植レシピエントでは健康な方と比較して抗体量と質は著しく低下していた。しかし3回目の接種後には肝移植後のレシピエントの方の抗体量と質は上昇し健康な方と比較し遜色のない結果が得られた。本研究により臓器移植後の患者でもワクチン接種を反復することで健康な方と同等の感染予防効果が得られる可能性が示唆された。