Prevalence of Naturally Acquired Immunity to Meningococcus in Hemodialysis Patients in Jahrom, Iran, 2022

Background: Immune system disorders are one of the main problems in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis. The weakening of the immune system in these patients makes them susceptible to various infections. Objectives: This research was conducted for the first time to investigate the prevalence of naturally acquired immunity to Meningococcus and its association with the duration of dialysis, gender, and age in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on patients suffering from chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis referring to Jahrom Hemodialysis Center in March-August 2022. The qualitative level of anti-meningococcal polysaccharide antibodies was determined in serum samples using ELISA assay with specialized and commercial kits to determine the immunity to Meningococcus. Stata version 14 was used to analyze the data with the chi-square test, univariate, and multivariable logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of naturally acquired immunity to Meningococcus was 18.68% in hemodialysis patients. Sex, age, duration of hemodialysis, and the number of weekly dialysis sessions were associated with the acquired immunity to Meningococcus. Conclusions: As hemodialysis patients are not vaccinated against meningococci in Iran, 18.68% of the hemodialysis patients had a history of meningococcal infection. Considering the susceptibility of these patients to this infectious disease and its preventability, it is recommended to vaccinate these patients against meningococcal infection.