[en] [en] BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer, especially hematological cancer, are at increased risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infection. So far, a predictive biomarker that can assess compromised vaccine-induced anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity in cancer patients has not been proposed.
METHODS: We employed machine learning approaches to identify a biomarker signature based on blood cytokines, chemokines, and immune- and non-immune-related growth factors linked to vaccine immunogenicity in 199 cancer patients receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine.
RESULTS: C-reactive protein (general marker of inflammation), interleukin (IL)-15 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), IL-18 (interferon-gamma inducing factor), and placental growth factor (an angiogenic cytokine) correctly classified patients with a diminished vaccine response assessed at day 49 with >80% accuracy. Amongst these, CRP showed the highest predictive value for poor response to vaccine administration. Importantly, this unique signature of vaccine response was present at different studied timepoints both before and after vaccination and was not majorly affected by different anti-cancer treatments.
CONCLUSION: We propose a blood-based signature of cytokines and growth factors that can be employed in identifying cancer patients at persistent high risk of COVID-19 despite vaccination with BNT162b2. Our data also suggest that such a signature may reflect the inherent immunological constitution of some cancer patients who are refractive to immunotherapy.
Disciplines :
Immunology & infectious disease
Author, co-author :
Konnova, Angelina; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium ; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
De Winter, Fien H R; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Gupta, Akshita; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium ; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Verbruggen, Lise; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Hotterbeekx, An; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Berkell, Matilda; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium ; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Teuwen, Laure-Anne; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Vanhoutte, Greetje; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium ; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Peeters, Bart; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Raats, Silke; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
der Massen, Isolde Van; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
De Keersmaecker, Sven; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Debie, Yana ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) > FARAH: Santé publique vétérinaire ; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium ; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Huizing, Manon; Biobank, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
Pannus, Pieter; Scientific Directorate Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
Neven, Kristof Y; Scientific Directorate Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium ; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium ; Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, Brussels, Belgium
Ariën, Kevin K; Virology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium ; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium
Martens, Geert A; Department of Laboratory Medicine, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
Bulcke, Marc Van Den; Scientific Directorate Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
Roelant, Ella; Clinical Trial Center (CTC), Clinical Research Centre (CRC) Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium ; StatUa, Center for Statistics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Desombere, Isabelle; Service Immune response, Scientific Directorate Infectious Diseases in Humans, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
Anguille, Sébastien; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Berneman, Zwi; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium ; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Goossens, Maria E; Scientific Directorate Infectious Diseases in Humans, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
Goossens, Herman; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Malhotra-Kumar, Surbhi; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Tacconelli, Evelina; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
Vandamme, Timon; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium ; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Peeters, Marc; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium ; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
van Dam, Peter; Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium ; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Kumar-Singh, Samir; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium ; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
Sciensano EU - European Union UA - Universiteit Antwerpen
Funding text :
This work was supported by the Belgian Government through Sciensano [grant numbers COVID-19_SC004, COVID-19_SC059, COVID-19_SC061], ORCHESTRA project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program [grant agreement number 101016167] and University of Antwerp-GOA grant [s30729].
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