Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection

Background: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at risk of severe COVID-19. Vaccination is an important preventive measure but may have side effects, including decreased leukocyte counts. We aimed to describe the prevalence and relative incidence of decreased leukocyte counts and changes in...

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Main Authors: Marita Kern, Sebastian Rask Hamm, Christian Ross Pedersen, Dina Leth Møller, Josefine Amalie Loft, Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch, Line Dam Heftdal, Mia Marie Pries-Heje, Michael Perch, Søren Schwartz Sørensen, Allan Rasmussen, Peter Garred, Kasper Karmark Iversen, Henning Bundgaard, Caroline A. Sabin, Susanne Dam Nielsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Vaccines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/2/103
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author Marita Kern
Sebastian Rask Hamm
Christian Ross Pedersen
Dina Leth Møller
Josefine Amalie Loft
Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch
Line Dam Heftdal
Mia Marie Pries-Heje
Michael Perch
Søren Schwartz Sørensen
Allan Rasmussen
Peter Garred
Kasper Karmark Iversen
Henning Bundgaard
Caroline A. Sabin
Susanne Dam Nielsen
author_facet Marita Kern
Sebastian Rask Hamm
Christian Ross Pedersen
Dina Leth Møller
Josefine Amalie Loft
Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch
Line Dam Heftdal
Mia Marie Pries-Heje
Michael Perch
Søren Schwartz Sørensen
Allan Rasmussen
Peter Garred
Kasper Karmark Iversen
Henning Bundgaard
Caroline A. Sabin
Susanne Dam Nielsen
author_sort Marita Kern
collection DOAJ
description Background: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at risk of severe COVID-19. Vaccination is an important preventive measure but may have side effects, including decreased leukocyte counts. We aimed to describe the prevalence and relative incidence of decreased leukocyte counts and changes in leukocyte counts before and after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection in SOT recipients. Methods: Changes in leukocyte counts from before to after each vaccine dose were investigated using linear mixed models. We determined the prevalence of decreased leukocyte counts before and after each vaccine dose and before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Self-controlled case series analysis was used to investigate whether the period after either vaccination or infection was associated with risk of decreased leukocyte count. Results: We included 228 adult kidney, lung, and liver transplant recipients. Prior to the first vaccine dose, the mean leukocyte count was 7.3 × 10<sup>9</sup> cells/L (95% CI 6.9–7.6). Both the leukocyte counts, and the prevalence of decreased leukocyte counts remained unchanged from before to after vaccination regardless of the number of vaccine doses provided. There was no association between vaccination and decreased leukocyte counts (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.6; 95% CI: 0.2–2.1; <i>p</i> = 0.461). In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with increased risk of a decreased leukocyte count (IRR: 7.1; 95% CI: 2.8–18.1; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination was not associated with risk of decreased leukocyte count and did not affect the prevalence of decreased leukocyte counts in SOT recipients. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a higher risk of a decreased leukocyte count.
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spelling doaj-art-4108ffb78a97441d845a7a2b5cc43c572025-08-20T02:04:07ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2025-01-0113210310.3390/vaccines13020103Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and InfectionMarita Kern0Sebastian Rask Hamm1Christian Ross Pedersen2Dina Leth Møller3Josefine Amalie Loft4Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch5Line Dam Heftdal6Mia Marie Pries-Heje7Michael Perch8Søren Schwartz Sørensen9Allan Rasmussen10Peter Garred11Kasper Karmark Iversen12Henning Bundgaard13Caroline A. Sabin14Susanne Dam Nielsen15Viro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkViro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology and Transplantation, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkViro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkViro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2730 Herlev, DenmarkViro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology and Transplantation, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2730 Herlev, DenmarkDepartment of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkCentre for Clinical Research, Epidemiology, Modelling and Evaluation, Institute for Global Health, UCL, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill St., London NW3 2PF, UKViro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkBackground: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at risk of severe COVID-19. Vaccination is an important preventive measure but may have side effects, including decreased leukocyte counts. We aimed to describe the prevalence and relative incidence of decreased leukocyte counts and changes in leukocyte counts before and after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection in SOT recipients. Methods: Changes in leukocyte counts from before to after each vaccine dose were investigated using linear mixed models. We determined the prevalence of decreased leukocyte counts before and after each vaccine dose and before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Self-controlled case series analysis was used to investigate whether the period after either vaccination or infection was associated with risk of decreased leukocyte count. Results: We included 228 adult kidney, lung, and liver transplant recipients. Prior to the first vaccine dose, the mean leukocyte count was 7.3 × 10<sup>9</sup> cells/L (95% CI 6.9–7.6). Both the leukocyte counts, and the prevalence of decreased leukocyte counts remained unchanged from before to after vaccination regardless of the number of vaccine doses provided. There was no association between vaccination and decreased leukocyte counts (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.6; 95% CI: 0.2–2.1; <i>p</i> = 0.461). In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with increased risk of a decreased leukocyte count (IRR: 7.1; 95% CI: 2.8–18.1; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination was not associated with risk of decreased leukocyte count and did not affect the prevalence of decreased leukocyte counts in SOT recipients. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a higher risk of a decreased leukocyte count.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/2/103SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinationSARS-CoV-2 infectionsolid organ transplant recipientleukocyte countleukopenia
spellingShingle Marita Kern
Sebastian Rask Hamm
Christian Ross Pedersen
Dina Leth Møller
Josefine Amalie Loft
Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch
Line Dam Heftdal
Mia Marie Pries-Heje
Michael Perch
Søren Schwartz Sørensen
Allan Rasmussen
Peter Garred
Kasper Karmark Iversen
Henning Bundgaard
Caroline A. Sabin
Susanne Dam Nielsen
Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection
Vaccines
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination
SARS-CoV-2 infection
solid organ transplant recipient
leukocyte count
leukopenia
title Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection
title_full Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection
title_fullStr Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection
title_full_unstemmed Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection
title_short Leukocyte Count in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection
title_sort leukocyte count in solid organ transplant recipients after sars cov 2 mrna vaccination and infection
topic SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination
SARS-CoV-2 infection
solid organ transplant recipient
leukocyte count
leukopenia
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/2/103
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