IgM and IgG Profiles Reveal Peculiar Features of Humoral Immunity Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Antonella De Donno, Giambattista Lobreglio, Alessandra Panico, Tiziana Grassi, Francesco Bagordo, Maria Pia Bozzetti, Serafina Massari, Luisa Siculella, Fabrizio Damiano, Francesco Guerra, Marilena Greco, Michele Chicone, Roberta Lazzari and Pietro Alifano
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Antonella De Donno: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Giambattista Lobreglio: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Unit, Vito Fazzi General Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Alessandra Panico: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Tiziana Grassi: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Francesco Bagordo: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Maria Pia Bozzetti: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Serafina Massari: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Luisa Siculella: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Fabrizio Damiano: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Francesco Guerra: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Unit, Vito Fazzi General Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Marilena Greco: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Unit, Vito Fazzi General Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Michele Chicone: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Unit, Vito Fazzi General Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Roberta Lazzari: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Unit, Vito Fazzi General Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Pietro Alifano: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is globally a major healthcare threat. There is little information regarding the mechanisms and roles of the humoral response in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to analyze the antibody levels (IgM and IgG) by chemiluminescence immunoassay in 54 subjects positive to SARS-CoV-2 swab test in relation to their clinical status (whether asymptomatic, pauci-symptomatic or with mild, sever or critical symptoms), the time from the symptom onset, sex, age, and comorbidities. Overall, the presence of comorbidities and the age of subjects were associated with their clinical status. The IgG concentrations were significantly higher in patients who developed critical and severe symptoms and seemed to be independent from age, sex and comorbidities. IgG titers peaked around day 60, and then began gradually to drop, decreasing by approximately 50% on the 180th day, while the IgM titers progressively decreased as early as the tenth day, but they could be detected even at later time points. Despite the small number of individuals, some peculiar characteristics of the humoral response in COVID-19 emerged. We observed a high inter-individual variability, an ephemeral IgG half-life in several patients, and a persistence of IgM in others.

Keywords: antibodies; COVID-19; humoral immunity; SARS-CoV-2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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