Seven-month kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and role of pre-existing antibodies to human coronaviruses

Natalia Ortega, Marta Ribes, Marta Vidal, Rocío Rubio, Ruth Aguilar, Sarah Williams, Diana Barrios, Selena Alonso, Pablo Hernández-Luis, Robert A. Mitchell, Chenjerai Jairoce, Angeline Cruz, Alfons Jimenez, Rebeca Santano, Susana Méndez, Montserrat Lamoglia, Neus Rosell, Anna Llupià, Laura Puyol, Jordi Chi, Natalia Rodrigo Melero, Daniel Parras, Pau Serra, Edwards Pradenas, Benjamin Trinité, Julià Blanco, Alfredo Mayor, Sonia Barroso, Pilar Varela, Anna Vilella, Antoni Trilla, Pere Santamaria, Carlo Carolis, Marta Tortajada, Luis Izquierdo, Ana Angulo, Pablo Engel, Alberto L. García-Basteiro, Gemma Moncunill () and Carlota Dobaño ()
Additional contact information
Natalia Ortega: Universitat de Barcelona
Marta Ribes: Universitat de Barcelona
Marta Vidal: Universitat de Barcelona
Rocío Rubio: Universitat de Barcelona
Ruth Aguilar: Universitat de Barcelona
Sarah Williams: Universitat de Barcelona
Diana Barrios: Universitat de Barcelona
Selena Alonso: Universitat de Barcelona
Pablo Hernández-Luis: Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
Robert A. Mitchell: Universitat de Barcelona
Chenjerai Jairoce: Universitat de Barcelona
Angeline Cruz: Universitat de Barcelona
Alfons Jimenez: Universitat de Barcelona
Rebeca Santano: Universitat de Barcelona
Susana Méndez: Universitat de Barcelona
Montserrat Lamoglia: Universitat de Barcelona
Neus Rosell: Universitat de Barcelona
Anna Llupià: Universitat de Barcelona
Laura Puyol: Universitat de Barcelona
Jordi Chi: Universitat de Barcelona
Natalia Rodrigo Melero: Biomolecular screening and Protein Technologies Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Daniel Parras: Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
Pau Serra: Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
Edwards Pradenas: IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, UAB
Benjamin Trinité: IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, UAB
Julià Blanco: IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, UAB
Alfredo Mayor: Universitat de Barcelona
Sonia Barroso: Universitat de Barcelona
Pilar Varela: Universitat de Barcelona
Anna Vilella: Universitat de Barcelona
Antoni Trilla: Universitat de Barcelona
Pere Santamaria: Universitat de Barcelona
Carlo Carolis: Biomolecular screening and Protein Technologies Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Marta Tortajada: Universitat de Barcelona
Luis Izquierdo: Universitat de Barcelona
Ana Angulo: Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
Pablo Engel: Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
Alberto L. García-Basteiro: Universitat de Barcelona
Gemma Moncunill: Universitat de Barcelona
Carlota Dobaño: Universitat de Barcelona

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Unraveling the long-term kinetics of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and the individual characteristics influencing it, including the impact of pre-existing antibodies to human coronaviruses causing common cold (HCoVs), is essential to understand protective immunity to COVID-19 and devise effective surveillance strategies. IgM, IgA and IgG levels against six SARS-CoV-2 antigens and the nucleocapsid antigen of the four HCoV (229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1) were quantified by Luminex, and antibody neutralization capacity was assessed by flow cytometry, in a cohort of health care workers followed up to 7 months (N = 578). Seroprevalence increases over time from 13.5% (month 0) and 15.6% (month 1) to 16.4% (month 6). Levels of antibodies, including those with neutralizing capacity, are stable over time, except IgG to nucleocapsid antigen and IgM levels that wane. After the peak response, anti-spike antibody levels increase from ~150 days post-symptom onset in all individuals (73% for IgG), in the absence of any evidence of re-exposure. IgG and IgA to HCoV are significantly higher in asymptomatic than symptomatic seropositive individuals. Thus, pre-existing cross-reactive HCoVs antibodies could have a protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease.

Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24979-9 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24979-9

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24979-9

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().