← Return to John Hopkins Webinar on transplant recipients and vaccines

Discussion

John Hopkins Webinar on transplant recipients and vaccines

Transplants | Last Active: Jan 13, 2022 | Replies (141)

Comment receiving replies
@loribmt

While it’s encouraging to have a higher number associated with the Covid test when checking for antibodies, it’s no guarantee of immunity. A positive SARS-CoV-2 spike protein test just shows that your body has been exposed to the Covid-19 virus either though having the virus or by getting the vaccination and is making the appropriate antibodies to recognize it again in the future. But it won’t show the effectiveness or longevity of the antibody protection. Conversely a patient may show a low antibody number but still some immune response if exposed to the virus.

Antibodies are just one part of a complex immune response that is triggered when a person becomes infected with SARS-CoV-2. The presence of antibodies does not mean that they are there at a high enough concentration to provide protection from reinfection. Just as the lack of antibodies does not mean that the immune system is not primed to respond to reinfection.

What is most important is the adaptive immune response. The adaptive immune system is responsible for the long-lasting response. It activates your body’s T and B cells, which learn to recognize specific foreign materials. The T and B cells are the ones that then identify the foreign material months or years after the initial infection or vaccination and generate the antibodies to attack and eliminate the invaders.
Unfortunately testing the body’s T and B cells for Covid antibodies is difficult.

If I remember correctly, you had a low or zero score after your last SARS-CoV-2 test. Are you considering having another test run just to see if your numbers are up?

Jump to this post


Replies to "While it’s encouraging to have a higher number associated with the Covid test when checking for..."

Hi Lori!
Thanks so much for this wonderfully detailed and knowledgeable response! You have a great memory. Yes, I am the kidney transplant patient with zero antibodies from two doses of Moderna. Yes, I am thinking about retesting to see if there was any increase now that months have passed. 🙂

Hi everyone! Following the COVID vaccine conversation with TX folks has been interesting. After watching the JH webinars, I am content to wait for my doctors to release info that addresses our needs and my particular needs. That said, when we discuss T and B cells it's difficult. Those are the exact cells that our immuno-suppressant drugs affect. Our Tacro, Sirolimus, CellCept, etc. reduce the response from the T and B cells in order to avoid the opportunity for rejection of our heart, kidney, liver or other organ. So when we talk about relying on these cells to help us with COVID, I don't think it's scientifically reasonable to expect that. Does anyone know more about this? I would be glad to be mistaken! 🙂