Title : Post-vaccination antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with liver cirrhosis. What do we know so far?
Abstract:
Abstract: Various studies have investigated the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with liver diseases (PWLD) since the beginning of the pandemic and patients with cirrhosis seem to have an elevated risk for severe COVID-19 course and death, making vaccination against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) of utmost importance for these patients.
The novel vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 display encouraging safety and efficacy profiles, offering the prospect of achieving herd immunity to combat the pandemic. However, there is a paucity of data regarding safety and immunogenicity of these vaccines in PWLD, particularly in those with cirrhosis, as only few PWLD were included in the phase I–III vaccine clinical trials of the aforementioned vaccines.
Moreover patients with liver cirrhosis show inadequate immune responses in seasonal flu, viral hepatitis and pneumonococcal vaccines, raising concerns about the immunogenicity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In my presentation I will discuss the reasons for impaired immune responses in patients with liver cirrhosis and present all available data concerning anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in these patients.
What will audience learn from your presentation?
(Try to list 3-5 specific items)
- Raise awareness concerning the higher mortality and morbidity of COVID-19 in patients with liver diseases and especially liver cirrhosis
- Learn available data concerning antibody responses in patients with liver cirrhosis and discuss subgroups that should probably get vaccinated with a third dose after the standard 2-vaccines schedule
