부산대학교 도서관

Background: In the third year of the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic, little is known about the vaccine‐ and infection‐induced immune response in liver transplant recipients (LTR) and liver cirrhosis patients (LCP). Objective: This cross‐sectional study assessed the vaccination coverage, infection rate, and the resulting humoral and cellular SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific immune responses in a cohort of LTR and LCP at the University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf, Germany between March and May 2023. Methods: Clinical and laboratory data from 244 consecutive patients (160 LTR and 84 LCP) were collected via chart review and a patient survey. Immune responses were determined via standard spike(S)‐ and nucleocapsid‐protein serology and a spike‐specific Interferon‐gamma release assay (IGRA). Results: On average, LTR and LCP were vaccinated 3.7 and 3.3 times, respectively and 59.4% of patients received ≥4 vaccinations. Altogether, 68.1% (109/160) of LTR and 70.2% (59/84) of LCP experienced a SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Most infections occurred during the Omicron wave in 2022 after an average of 3.0 vaccinations. Overall, the hospitalization rate was low ( Conclusion: By spring 2023, high vaccination coverage and infection rate have resulted in a robust, mostly hybrid, humoral and cellular immune response in most LTR and LCP. However, booster vaccinations with vaccines covering new variants seem advisable, especially in patients with low immune responses and risk factors for severe disease.
Key summary Summarizing the established knowledge on this subject * Vaccination is an important tool to protect vulnerable liver transplant recipients (LTR) and liver cirrhosis patients (LCP) from severe COVID‐19. [...]