Ascend, U.S. Renal Care and Collaborators Publish Study of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Antibody Response and Breakthrough Infection in Patients Receiving Dialysis in Annals of Internal Medicine

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Dec. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ascend, a leading dialysis testing laboratory, U.S. Renal Care, and researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have completed a study of nearly 5,000 patients receiving dialysis to determine longitudinal antibody-based response and risk for breakthrough infection after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Researchers studied health records of 4,791 patients receiving dialysis from a nationwide sample of dialysis facilities. The researchers found that among vaccinated patients, 1 in 5 had lost detectable receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody response within six months after vaccination and more than 70% of patients demonstrated a loss of protective levels of circulating antibody titer. While peak antibody index values were higher among individuals with evidence of previous Covid-19 infection, the decline in antibody titers over 6 months was similar and by the end of follow-up there was no statistical difference in median index values. Crucially, the researchers report a strong link between circulating antibody levels and likelihood of breakthrough infections. Levels of circulating RBD below 10 (210 BAU/mL) were associated with a 11-fold higher risk for breakthrough infection, which resulted in hospitalization in over 40% of cases in this study.

Of the 4791 patients studied, 2,563 were fully vaccinated as of September 14, 2021. Among the vaccinated patients, the estimated proportion with an undetectable RBD response increased from 6.6% (95% CI, 5.5% to 7.8%) 14 to 30 days after vaccination to 20.2% (CI, 17.0% to 23.3%) 5 to 6 months after vaccination. The proportion of individuals with undetectable antibody varied by vaccine type and was lowest among those receiving mRNA-1273.

“Antibody testing can play an important role in monitoring vaccine effectiveness,” said Paul Beyer, CEO of Ascend. “Immunocompromised groups like patients on dialysis need to be closely monitored to ensure protection. Our hope in publishing the results of this study is that it will encourage people in high-risk populations to get boosters, thus lowering chances of hospitalization and death.”

Dr. Mary Dittrich, Chief Medical Officer of U.S. Renal Care and an author on the study, emphasized this point: “This important data, which demonstrates that over 70% of fully vaccinated dialysis patients have circulating antibody levels 5 months after vaccination that renders them vulnerable to breakthrough infection, makes it clear just how important it is to encourage the adoption of booster doses. We believe this data can immediately inform the dialysis community and potentially help reduce the devastating consequences that we’ve seen from SARS-CoV-2.”

The full text of the study can be found here.

About Ascend
Ascend Clinical was founded in Northern California in 2000 as a clinical reference laboratory specializing in testing services for kidney disease. For over 20 years, we have been working with dialysis clinics to provide industry-leading service, comprehensive testing, innovative tools and technology. Ascend has focused on innovating and growing so we can anticipate our customers’ needs to deliver best-in-class services and optimize patient care. The company has locations in Denver and Colorado Springs as well as our main laboratory in Redwood City, CA. More information at www.aclab.com.

About U.S. Renal Care
U.S. Renal Care, Inc. partners with nephrologists and health systems to serve people living with chronic and acute kidney disease, offering a full range of services for patients including best-in-class in-center and home dialysis therapies. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, U.S. Renal Care serves approximately 28,000 patients in 389 dialysis facilities across 33 states and the Territory of Guam. For more information on U.S. Renal Care, Inc., please visit www.usrenalcare.com.

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