Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42188741›Full record

ArticleVaccines2026

Humoral and Cellular Immune Response in Patients with Hematological Disorders After Three Doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine: A Single-Center Observational Study.

Rosa Daffini, Francesco Zecchini, Giulia Venneri, Michele Malagola, Chiara Cattaneo, Stefano Calza, Arnaldo Caruso, Alessandra Tucci, Cinzia Giagulli

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Rosa DaffiniHematology Unit, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0009-0005-4391-7673
Francesco ZecchiniUnit of Blood Diseases and Stem Cell Transplantation, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
Giulia VenneriSection of Microbiology, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0009-0005-7626-0997
Michele MalagolaUnit of Blood Diseases and Stem Cell Transplantation, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0907-130X
Chiara CattaneoHematology Unit, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0031-3237
Stefano CalzaUnit of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4996-7995
Arnaldo CarusoSection of Microbiology, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
Alessandra TucciHematology Unit, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3052-7463
Cinzia GiagulliSection of Microbiology, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4461-9353

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHematological patients have a high risk of developing severe COVID-19 (37%). Most mRNA vaccine trials in hematological patients showed a low immunogenicity after two doses, while long-term data are scarce.

methodsIn this monocentric retrospective observational study, we evaluated humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses in 230 hematological patients after three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Patients were stratified by age, disease type/state, prior COVID-19 infection, and treatment status and regimens (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, BTK and BCL-2 inhibitors, and treatment line). Antibody titer to SARS-CoV-2 was assessed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and T cell response by QuantiFERON interferon-γ release assay (IGRA). Data were analyzed using univariate (Fisher's exact test) and Firth's bias-reduced penalized-likelihood logistic regression.

resultsA robust humoral response was observed with 91.55% of patients developing anti-spike antibodies (GMT 988.83 U/mL). Anti-CD20-bendamustine treatment was associated with a significantly lower antibody positivity compared to untreated subjects. Prior COVID-19 infection significantly boosted both antibody positivity (95.9% vs. 85.2%) and GMT (847.02 U/mL vs. 258.79 U/mL). Conversely, T cell response was suboptimal (36.1% positive), particularly in anti-CD20-bendamustine-treated and multi-treated patients (27.1%), but highest in those treated with BTK inhibitors (50%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis linked multiple treatments to lower T cell response. Following vaccination, 29.1% of patients contracted SARS-CoV-2, but only 0.89% developed severe COVID-19.

conclusionsThree doses of mRNA vaccine elicit a strong humoral but a low T cell response, as detected by IGRA, in hematological patients. These findings underscore the importance of completing vaccination before initiating immunosuppressive therapies.

Indexed as

anti-CD20BCL-2 inhibitorsbendamustineBTK inhibitorscellular immune responseCOVID-19hematological disordershumoral responsemRNA vaccineT cell

Identifiers

PMID42188741
PMCPMC13211637

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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.