Antibody levels in people with diabetes after one dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine

Abstract

Patients with diabetes and coexistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have a higher risk of COVID-19 complications. Therefore, it is critical that sustained and effective immunogenicity against COVID-19 is achieved in such patients. This study evaluates the antibody response for 56 days after the first dose of the AZD1222 vaccine in subjects with and without diabetes to assess the potential risk of delaying the second dose. This study included 282 people who received one dose of AZD1222. The geometric mean concentration of antibodies specific for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 IgG at 56 days was significantly (P < 0.001) lower in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D; 15.13 BAU/mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 10.7–21.4) than in those without diabetes (40.20 BAU/mL, 95% CI = 33.43–48.36), as confirmed by a geometric mean ratio of 0.37 (95% CI = 0.25–0.54). Weaker immune responses were also observed in diabetic patients ≥ 65 years old (10.09 BAU/mL, 95% CI = 6.09–16.71) compared with their younger counterparts (22.31 BAU/mL, 95% CI = 13.98–35.59, P = 0.034). People with T2D had weaker antibody responses than those without diabetes after the first dose of AZD1222. Older age was associated with weaker antibody responses in elderly patients with diabetes.