Hemodialysis patients make long-lived antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 that may be associated with reduced reinfection.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have a devastating effect on patients receiving hemodialysis. To what extent infection-induced antibody responses are maintained, or protective, is unknown. This study describes the evolution of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a cohort of 990 patients on hemodialysis. During the first wave of the pandemic, 26% of patients had developed antispike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Fewer PCR-confirmed second-wave infections were observed in patients with pre-existing antibodies (4.2%) than those without antibodies (11.4%). This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients on hemodialysis are well maintained and associate with reduced risk of subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection.