Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, I.C.O.T. Hospital, Via Franco Faggiana 1668, 04100, Latina, Italy.
Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Latina, Italy.
AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2022 Nov;219(5):752-761. doi: 10.2214/AJR.22.27843. Epub 2022 Jun 1.
Additional evidence of the role of COVID-19 vaccination in reducing pneumonia frequency and severity in the setting of breakthrough infection could help combat ongoing vaccine hesitancy. The purpose of this article was to compare the frequency and severity of pneumonia on chest CT in patients with confirmed COVID-19 between patients who are unvaccinated and those who are fully vaccinated by messenger RNA (mRNA) or adenovirus vector vaccines. This retrospective single-center study included 467 patients (250 men, 217 women; mean age, 65 ± 17 [SD] years) who underwent chest CT between December 15, 2021, and February 18, 2022, during hospitalization for symptomatic COVID-19, confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay. A total of 216 patients were unvaccinated, and 167 and 84 patients were fully vaccinated (defined as receipt of the second dose at least 14 days before COVID-19 diagnosis) by the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine or the ChAdOx1-S adenovirus vector vaccine, respectively. Semiquantitative CT severity scores (CT-SS; 0-25 scale) were determined; CT-SS of 0 indicated absence of pneumonia. Presence of bilateral involvement was assessed in patients with pneumonia. Associations were explored between vaccination status and CT findings. The frequency of the absence of pneumonia was 15% (32/216) in unvaccinated patients, 29% (24/84) in patients fully vaccinated with ChAdOx1-S vaccine, and 51% (85/167) in patients fully vaccinated with BNT162b2 vaccine (unvaccinated and ChAdOx1-S vs BNT162b2: < .001; unvaccinated vs ChAdOx1-S: = .08). Mean CT-SS was significantly higher in unvaccinated patients (9.7 ± 6.1) than in patients fully vaccinated with BNT162b2 (5.2 ± 6.1) or ChAdOx1-S (6.2 ± 5.9) vaccine (both < .001). Full vaccination was significantly associated with CT-SS independent of patient age and sex (estimate = -4.46; < .001). Frequency of bilateral lung involvement was significantly higher in unvaccinated patients (158/184, 86%) and in patients fully vaccinated with ChAdOx1-S vaccine (54/60, 90%) than in patients fully vaccinated with BNT162b2 vaccine (47/82, 57%) (both < .001). Pneumonia frequency and severity were lower in patients with full vaccination by mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines who experienced breakthrough infections in comparison with unvaccinated patients. The visual observation by radiologic imaging of the protective effect of vaccination on lung injury in patients with breakthrough infections provides additional evidence supporting the clinical benefit of vaccination.
在突破性感染的情况下,COVID-19 疫苗接种在降低肺炎发生率和严重程度方面的额外证据可能有助于对抗持续存在的疫苗犹豫。本文的目的是比较接受信使 RNA(mRNA)或腺病毒载体疫苗完全接种和未接种疫苗的确诊 COVID-19 患者的胸部 CT 上肺炎的频率和严重程度。这项回顾性单中心研究纳入了 467 名患者(250 名男性,217 名女性;平均年龄 65 ± 17 [SD] 岁),他们在 2021 年 12 月 15 日至 2022 年 2 月 18 日期间因症状性 COVID-19 住院期间接受了胸部 CT 检查,这些 COVID-19 通过逆转录酶聚合酶链反应检测得到了证实。共有 216 名患者未接种疫苗,167 名和 84 名患者分别接受了 BNT162b2 mRNA 疫苗或 ChAdOx1-S 腺病毒载体疫苗的完全接种(定义为在 COVID-19 诊断前至少 14 天接种第二剂)。确定了半定量 CT 严重程度评分(CT-SS;0-25 分);CT-SS 为 0 表示没有肺炎。在有肺炎的患者中评估了双侧受累情况。探讨了疫苗接种状况与 CT 结果之间的关系。未接种疫苗患者中无肺炎的发生率为 15%(32/216),完全接种 ChAdOx1-S 疫苗的患者为 29%(24/84),完全接种 BNT162b2 疫苗的患者为 51%(85/167)(未接种和 ChAdOx1-S 与 BNT162b2:<0.001;未接种与 ChAdOx1-S:=0.08)。未接种疫苗患者的平均 CT-SS 明显高于完全接种 BNT162b2(5.2 ± 6.1)或 ChAdOx1-S(6.2 ± 5.9)疫苗的患者(均<0.001)。完全接种疫苗与患者年龄和性别无关,与 CT-SS 显著相关(估计=-4.46;<0.001)。未接种疫苗患者(184 例中有 158 例,86%)和完全接种 ChAdOx1-S 疫苗的患者(60 例中有 54 例,90%)的双侧肺受累频率明显高于完全接种 BNT162b2 疫苗的患者(82 例中有 47 例,57%)(均<0.001)。与未接种疫苗的患者相比,在突破性感染中接受 mRNA 和腺病毒载体疫苗完全接种的患者中肺炎的发生率和严重程度较低。在突破性感染患者中,影像学观察到疫苗对肺损伤的保护作用提供了额外的证据,支持疫苗接种的临床益处。