Factors associated with IgG titers against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein after second vaccination in people living with HIV controlled with anti-retroviral therapy

Objective: This study aimed to identify factors associated with the response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in people living with HIV (PLWH).Methods: This study was conducted at the Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. IgG antibodies against spike and nucleocapsid proteins were detected using Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assays.Results: During the investigation period, 371 PLWH were enrolled in this study. PLWH with previous COVID-19 infection, untreated or poorly controlled HIV infection, and those whose blood samples were obtained within less than seven days after the second vaccination were excluded. A total of 310 PLWH controlled with anti-retroviral therapy were included in the final analysis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that chronic kidney disease (CKD) (beta = -0.353, p = 0.049) and the duration between the second vaccination and blood sampling (beta = -0.005, p < 0.001) were associated with low spike protein IgG titers.Conclusion: Even without hemodialysis or kidney transplant, CKD was associated with vaccine response in PLWH.