SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans

Jackson S. Turner, Wooseob Kim, Elizaveta Kalaidina, Charles W. Goss, Adriana M. Rauseo, Aaron J. Schmitz, Lena Hansen, Alem Haile, Michael K. Klebert, Iskra Pusic, Jane A. O’Halloran, Rachel M. Presti and Ali H. Ellebedy ()
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Jackson S. Turner: Washington University School of Medicine
Wooseob Kim: Washington University School of Medicine
Elizaveta Kalaidina: Washington University School of Medicine
Charles W. Goss: Washington University School of Medicine
Adriana M. Rauseo: Washington University School of Medicine
Aaron J. Schmitz: Washington University School of Medicine
Lena Hansen: Washington University School of Medicine
Alem Haile: Washington University School of Medicine
Michael K. Klebert: Washington University School of Medicine
Iskra Pusic: Washington University School of Medicine
Jane A. O’Halloran: Washington University School of Medicine
Rachel M. Presti: Washington University School of Medicine
Ali H. Ellebedy: Washington University School of Medicine

Nature, 2021, vol. 595, issue 7867, 421-425

Abstract: Abstract Long-lived bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs) are a persistent and essential source of protective antibodies1–7. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have a substantially lower risk of reinfection with SARS-CoV-28–10. Nonetheless, it has been reported that levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum antibodies decrease rapidly in the first few months after infection, raising concerns that long-lived BMPCs may not be generated and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 may be short-lived11–13. Here we show that in convalescent individuals who had experienced mild SARS-CoV-2 infections (n = 77), levels of serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) antibodies declined rapidly in the first 4 months after infection and then more gradually over the following 7 months, remaining detectable at least 11 months after infection. Anti-S antibody titres correlated with the frequency of S-specific plasma cells in bone marrow aspirates from 18 individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 at 7 to 8 months after infection. S-specific BMPCs were not detected in aspirates from 11 healthy individuals with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that S-binding BMPCs are quiescent, which suggests that they are part of a stable compartment. Consistently, circulating resting memory B cells directed against SARS-CoV-2 S were detected in the convalescent individuals. Overall, our results indicate that mild infection with SARS-CoV-2 induces robust antigen-specific, long-lived humoral immune memory in humans.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03647-4

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