Antibody response to HBV vaccination on dialysis does not correlate with the development of deNovo anti-HLA antibodies after renal transplantation

BackgroundResponse to Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination can be diminished in some (50-80%) but not all dialysis patients. We hypothesized, that the response to vaccination on dialysis may correlate with the development of anti-HLA antibodies after renal transplantation and might therefore be a valuable parameter to predict alloresponses.MethodsThe response to HBV vaccination on dialysis and the development of deNovo anti-HLA antibodies post-transplant was analyzed in 188 non-immunized renal transplant recipients. The response to HBV vaccination was evaluated by measuring the anti-HBs titer at time of transplantation. Anti-HLA antibodies post-transplant were monitored by serial measurements by means of Luminex. Acute rejection episodes, graft loss and renal dysfunction were assessed within a median follow-up of 5.5 years.ResultsOne hundred and forty-one patients (75%) exhibited an adequate immune response to HBV vaccination on dialysis. Vaccine responder (R) and none responder (NR) did not differ with respect to age, gender and BMI, while R spend significantly more time on dialysis before transplantation (4.58 ± 3.35 vs 3.23 ± 2.55 years, p = 0.033). More NR developed deNovo anti-HLA antibodies (27.7 vs 22.7%, p = 0.554) and donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (23.4 vs 14.2%, p = 0.173) in comparison to R. Accordingly, the number of acute rejections was higher in NR as compared to R (36.1 vs 24.1%, p = 0.130) while graft survival was similar in both groups.ConclusionContrary to our hypothesis antibody response to HBV vaccination on dialysis does not predict the development of anti-HLA antibodies post transplant.