Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 27, Number 8—August 2021
Dispatch

Delayed Antibody and T-Cell Response to BNT162b2 Vaccination in the Elderly, Germany

Tatjana Schwarz1, Pinkus Tober-Lau1, David Hillus, Elisa T. Helbig, Lena J. Lippert, Charlotte Thibeault, Willi Koch, Irmgard Landgraf, Janine Michel, Leon Bergfeld, Daniela Niemeyer, Barbara Mühlemann, Claudia Conrad, Chantip Dang-Heine, Stefanie Kasper, Friederike Münn, Kai Kappert, Andreas Nitsche, Rudolf Tauber, Sein Schmidt, Piotr Kopankiewicz, Harald Bias, Joachim Seybold, Christof von Kalle, Terry C. Jones, Norbert Suttorp, Christian Drosten, Leif Erik Sander2Comments to Author , Victor M. Corman2Comments to Author , and Florian Kurth2Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (T. Schwarz, P. Tober-Lau, D. Hillus, E.T. Helbig, L.J. Lippert, C. Thibeault, W. Koch, L. Bergfeld, D. Niemeyer, B. Mühlemann, C. Conrad, C. Dang-Heine, S. Kasper, F. Münn, K. Kappert, R. Tauber, S. Schmidt, P. Kopankiewicz, H. Bias, J. Seybold, C. von Kalle, T.C. Jones, N. Suttorp, C. Drosten, L.E. Sander, V.M. Corman, F. Kurth); Hausarztpraxis am Agaplesion Bethanien Sophienhaus, Berlin (I. Landgraf); Robert Koch Institute, Berlin (J. Michel, A. Nitsche); German Centre for Infection Research, Berlin (D. Niemeyer, B. Mühlemann, T.C. Jones, C. Drosten, V.M. Corman); Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin (C. Dang-Heine, K. Kappert, R. Tauber, S. Schmidt, J. Seybold, C. von Kalle); Labor Berlin–Charité Vivantes GmbH, Berlin (K. Kappert, R. Tauber); University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (T.C. Jones); G; erman Center for Lung Research, Gießen, Germany (N. Suttorp, L.E. Sander, F. Kurth); Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany (F. Kurth); University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (F. Kurth)

Main Article

Figure

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–specific antibody and T-cell response after vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech, https://www.pfizer.com) in the elderly, Germany. A) SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG measured in serum of BNT162b2-vaccinated younger participants (healthcare workers) before the first vaccination (n = 100, week 0), 3 weeks after the first vaccination (n = 107, week 3), and 4 weeks after the second vaccination (n = 113, week 7) and from elderly participants at week 0 (n = 70), week 3 (n = 52), and week 7 (n = 70) using the SeraSpot Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay (Seramun Diagnostica GmbH, https://www.seramun.com). B) Neutralizing capacity of antibodies measured at week 3 and 7 in the young and elderly cohorts using the ELISA-based surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) cPass (medac GmbH, https://international.medac.de). C) SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG avidity analyzed in the healthcare workers cohort (n = 30) and elderly cohort (n = 16) at week 3 and 7. D) At week 7, whole blood from vaccinated elderly participants (n = 43) and young participants (n = 71) was stimulated ex vivo with components of the S1 domain of the spike protein for 24 h, and IFN-γ concentration in the supernatant was detected by ELISA. Dotted lines indicate the manufacturer’s specified threshold for RBD IgG >1 S/Co, for sVNT >30%, and for avidity 40–60% borderline avidity and >60% high avidity. For IGRA, we defined an arbitrary threshold at 334.2 mIU/mL. p value was calculated by the nonparametric Mann Whitney U test, and the median and interquartile range are depicted. ACE2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; IFN-γ, interferon-γ; IU, international units; NS, not significant; RBD, receptor-binding domain; S/CO, signal-to-cutoff ratio; sVNT, surrogate virus neutralization test.

Figure. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–specific antibody and T-cell response after vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech, https://www.pfizer.com) in the elderly, Germany. A) SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG measured in serum of BNT162b2-vaccinated younger participants (healthcare workers) before the first vaccination (n = 100, week 0), 3 weeks after the first vaccination (n = 107, week 3), and 4 weeks after the second vaccination (n = 113, week 7) and from elderly participants at week 0 (n = 70), week 3 (n = 52), and week 7 (n = 70) using the SeraSpot Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay (Seramun Diagnostica GmbH, https://www.seramun.com). B) Neutralizing capacity of antibodies measured at week 3 and 7 in the young and elderly cohorts using the ELISA-based surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) cPass (medac GmbH, https://international.medac.de). C) SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG avidity analyzed in the healthcare workers cohort (n = 30) and elderly cohort (n = 16) at week 3 and 7. D) At week 7, whole blood from vaccinated elderly participants (n = 43) and young participants (n = 71) was stimulated ex vivo with components of the S1 domain of the spike protein for 24 h, and IFN-γ concentration in the supernatant was detected by ELISA. Dotted lines indicate the manufacturer’s specified threshold for RBD IgG >1 S/Co, for sVNT >30%, and for avidity 40–60% borderline avidity and >60% high avidity. For IGRA, we defined an arbitrary threshold at 334.2 mIU/mL. p value was calculated by the nonparametric Mann Whitney U test, and the median and interquartile range are depicted. ACE2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; IFN-γ, interferon-γ; IU, international units; NS, not significant; RBD, receptor-binding domain; S/CO, signal-to-cutoff ratio; sVNT, surrogate virus neutralization test.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

2These senior authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: June 02, 2021
Page updated: July 18, 2021
Page reviewed: July 18, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external