Efficacy of COVID vaccinations in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Authors

null

Kaitlin Annunzio

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Kaitlin Annunzio , Eileen Hu , Ying Huang , Cara Grantier , Michael R. Grever , Corinne Hoffman , Adam Kittai , Gerard Lozanski , Margaret Lucas , Mollie Moran , Mark Reid , Polina Shindiapina , Swetha Suresh , Jennifer Ann Woyach , Seema Ali Bhat , Kerry Anne Rogers

Organizations

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Division of Hematology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, OH, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, Division of Hematology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent leukemia in the western world. Primarily affecting older patients, CLL increases the risk of infection due to immunosuppression from underlying disease and treatments. With the COVID19 pandemic now in its third year, vaccines remain one of our best protections against infection. However, people with CLL historically have decreased vaccine efficacy; hence protection from the COVID19 vaccines is uncertain. Furthermore, it is unknown if antibodies generated in response to vaccination confer immunity. Therefore, we tested for presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies post vaccination to determine if a response was generated and led to a decreased risk of breakthrough infections. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with CLL who received at least one COVID19 vaccine. Spike protein antibodies were assessed in a CLIA-approved laboratory. Detectable spike protein antibodies after vaccination were assessed, excluding those detected any time after Cilgavimab-Tixagevimab administration, within 90 days after any monoclonal antibody or convalescent plasma, or after covid infection post vaccine to best capture antibody responses from the vaccine. Logistic regression model was used to assess the odds of antibody development. Fine-Gray model was used to assess risk of breakthrough infections. Results: 477 patients were included in this study with median age of 60.4 years. Patients were predominately male (64.8%) and white (97.3%). 70.4% of patients had received at least one treatment for CLL. 45.5% of patients were on CLL treatment at time of vaccination, with the majority (87.6%) of these treated with BTK inhibitors either as monotherapy or with a BCL2 inhibitor or anti CD-20 therapy. Three hundred thirteen (68.2%) of the patients had a detectable antibody after vaccination. Those who received CLL treatment were less likely to have detectable antibody response compared to those not on treatment (OR = 0.19, p < 0.0001). Compared with patients who received Moderna vaccine, Pfizer (OR = 0.15, p < .01) and Janssen (OR = 0.46, p = 0.29) vaccine receivers were less likely to have detectable antibodies. Eighty (17.2%) patients developed COVID19 infection after vaccination, with 5% mortality from COVID19. Those who received Pfizer vaccines had a higher risk of infection (HR = 2.25, p = 0.0016). Regardless of vaccine type, those who had antibodies post vaccination had a decreased risk for infection (HR = 0.38, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Among patients who were vaccinated against COVID19, those who received CLL treatment were less likely to develop antibodies compared to untreated patients, indicating that treatment decreases vaccine efficacy. We show that detectable antibodies after vaccination decrease risk for infection. Moderna appears to have greater efficacy, with more patients having positive antibody titers and a lower risk of developing COVID19.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Hematologic Malignancies—Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Track

Hematologic Malignancies

Sub Track

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Hairy Cell

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 16; abstr 7532)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.7532

Abstract #

7532

Poster Bd #

83

Abstract Disclosures

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