Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37705978›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2023

Immunocytometric analysis of patients with thymic epithelial tumors revealed that COVID-19 vaccine booster strongly enhanced the immune response.

Gustavo Cernera, Monica Gelzo, Pietro De Placido, Margaret Ottaviano, Erica Pietroluongo, Maddalena Raia, Giulia Scalia, Marianna Tortora, Giuseppe Castaldo, Pietro Formisano and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Gustavo CerneraCEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate, scarl, Naples, Italy.
Monica GelzoCEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate, scarl, Naples, Italy.
Pietro De PlacidoDipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Margaret OttavianoDipartimento di Melanoma, Immunoterapia Oncologica e Terapie Innovative, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Erica PietroluongoDipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Maddalena RaiaCEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate, scarl, Naples, Italy.
Giulia ScaliaCEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate, scarl, Naples, Italy.
Marianna TortoraCentro Regionale di Coordinamento Tumori Rari Regione Campania (CRCTR), Naples, Italy.
Giuseppe CastaldoCEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate, scarl, Naples, Italy.
Pietro FormisanoDipartimento di Scienze Mediche Traslazionali, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Giovannella PalmieriCentro Regionale di Coordinamento Tumori Rari Regione Campania (CRCTR), Naples, Italy.
Mario GiulianoDipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare malignancies with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. The high frequency of autoimmune paraneoplastic disorders observed in such patients requires caution when using COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, TETs are often associated with severe immunodeficiency, making it difficult to predict vaccine immunization. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate immune response to COVID-19 vaccine in patients with TETs. Methods: We conducted a prospective study enrolling patients who underwent the SARS-Cov-2 mRNA full vaccine cycle (two doses plus a booster after 6 months of BNT162b2). All patients were enrolled before receiving 1 Results: At the end of the full vaccine cycle, 27 (61.4%) patients developed humoral and 38 (86.4%) cellular responses (IFN γ release by stimulated cells) and showed an increase in activated TH1 and TH17 cells, particularly significant after the booster dose. The number of B and T lymphocytes at baseline was predictive of humoral and cellular responses, respectively. Patients with no evidence of tumor lesions had a higher probability of achieving a humoral response than those with evidence of the disease. Furthermore, the percentage of patients with immune-related disorders (75%), particularly Good's syndrome (47.7%) and myasthenia gravis (29.5%), did not change over the entire vaccine cycle. Overall, 19 of the 44 enrolled patients (43.2%) had COVID-19 during the observation period; none required hospitalization or oxygen support, and no fatalities were observed. Conclusion: SARS-Cov-2 mRNA vaccine determines the immune responses in patients with TET, particularly after the booster dose, and in patients with no evidence of tumor lesions. Preliminary analysis of B and T lymphocytes may help identify patients who have a lower probability of achieving effective humoral and cellular responses and thus may need passive immunization. The vaccine prevented severe COVID-19 infection and is safe.

Indexed as

Autoimmune DiseasesCOVID-19Neoplasms, Glandular and EpithelialBNT162 VaccineCOVID-19 VaccinesHumansImmunityImmunization, SecondaryProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Thymus NeoplasmsBNT162 VaccineCOVID-19 Vaccinesboostercell-mediated responseCOVID-19humoral responseimmunophenotypethymic epithelial tumors (TETs)vaccine

Identifiers

PMID37705978
PMCPMC10495582

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.