scholarly journals Longitudinal analysis of humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Spike in convalescent individuals up to 8 months post-symptom onset

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sai Priya Anand ◽  
Jérémie Prévost ◽  
Manon Nayrac ◽  
Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussières ◽  
Mehdi Benlarbi ◽  
...  

AbstractFunctional and lasting immune responses to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) are currently under intense investigation as antibody titers in plasma have been shown to decline during convalescence. Since the absence of antibodies does not equate to absence of immune memory, we sought to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific memory B cells in COVID-19 convalescent patients. In this study, we report on the evolution of the overall humoral immune responses on 101 blood samples obtained from 32 COVID-19 convalescent patients between 16 and 233 days post-symptom onset. Our observations indicate that anti-Spike and anti-RBD IgM in plasma decay rapidly, whereas the reduction of IgG is less prominent. Neutralizing activity in convalescent plasma declines rapidly compared to Fc-effector functions. Concomitantly, the frequencies of RBD-specific IgM+ B cells wane significantly when compared to RBD-specific IgG+ B cells, which increase over time, and the number of IgG+ memory B cells which remain stable thereafter for up to 8 months after symptoms onset. With the recent approval of highly effective vaccines for COVID-19, data on the persistence of immune responses are of central importance. Even though overall circulating SARS-CoV-2 Spike-specific antibodies contract over time during convalescence, we demonstrate that RBD-specific B cells increase and persist up to 8 months post symptom onset. We also observe modest increases in RBD-specific IgG+ memory B cells and importantly, detectable IgG and sustained Fc-effector activity in plasma over the 8-month period. Our results add to the current understanding of immune memory following SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is critical for the prevention of secondary infections, vaccine efficacy and herd immunity against COVID-19.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261656
Author(s):  
Raphael A. Reyes ◽  
Kathleen Clarke ◽  
S. Jake Gonzales ◽  
Angelene M. Cantwell ◽  
Rolando Garza ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits a robust B cell response, resulting in the generation of long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. Here, we aimed to determine the effect of COVID-19 severity on the memory B cell response and characterize changes in the memory B cell compartment between recovery and five months post-symptom onset. Using high-parameter spectral flow cytometry, we analyzed the phenotype of memory B cells with reactivity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein or the spike receptor binding domain (RBD) in recovered individuals who had been hospitalized with non-severe (n = 8) or severe (n = 5) COVID-19. One month after symptom onset, a substantial proportion of spike-specific IgG+ B cells showed an activated phenotype. In individuals who experienced non-severe disease, spike-specific IgG+ B cells showed increased expression of markers associated with durable B cell memory, including T-bet and FcRL5, as compared to individuals who experienced severe disease. While the frequency of T-bet+ spike-specific IgG+ B cells differed between the two groups, these cells predominantly showed an activated switched memory B cell phenotype in both groups. Five months post-symptom onset, the majority of spike-specific memory B cells had a resting phenotype and the percentage of spike-specific T-bet+ IgG+ memory B cells decreased to baseline levels. Collectively, our results highlight subtle differences in the B cells response after non-severe and severe COVID-19 and suggest that the memory B cell response elicited during non-severe COVID-19 may be of higher quality than the response after severe disease.


Author(s):  
Ane Fernandez Salinas ◽  
Eva Piano Mortari ◽  
Sara Terreri ◽  
Concetta Quintarelli ◽  
Federica Pulvirenti ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Data on immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with Primary Antibody Deficiencies (PAD) are limited to infected patients and to heterogeneous cohorts after immunization. Methods Forty-one patients with Common Variable Immune Deficiencies (CVID), six patients with X-linked Agammaglobulinemia (XLA), and 28 healthy age-matched controls (HD) were analyzed for anti-Spike and anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) antibody production, generation of Spike-specific memory B-cells, and Spike-specific T-cells before vaccination and one week after the second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine. Results The vaccine induced Spike-specific IgG and IgA antibody responses in all HD and in 20% of SARS-CoV-2 naive CVID patients. Anti-Spike IgG were detectable before vaccination in 4 out 7 CVID previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and were boosted in six out of seven patients by the subsequent immunization raising higher levels than patients naïve to infection. While HD generated Spike-specific memory B-cells, and RBD-specific B-cells, CVID generated Spike-specific atypical B-cells, while RBD-specific B-cells were undetectable in all patients, indicating the incapability to generate this new specificity. Specific T-cell responses were evident in all HD and defective in 30% of CVID. All but one patient with XLA responded by specific T-cell only. Conclusion In PAD patients, early atypical immune responses after BNT162b2 immunization occurred, possibly by extra-follicular or incomplete germinal center reactions. If these responses to vaccination might result in a partial protection from infection or reinfection is now unknown. Our data suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection more effectively primes the immune response than the immunization alone, possibly suggesting the need for a third vaccine dose for patients not previously infected.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay R Laver ◽  
Diane Gbesemete ◽  
Adam P Dale ◽  
Zoe C Pounce ◽  
Carl N Webb ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe human nasopharynx is colonized by commensal bacteria and pathobionts, which comprise a complex microbial ecosystem capable of generating primary and secondary immune responses. Experimental intranasal infection of human adults with the commensal Neisseria lactamica results in safe, sustained colonization. Herein is described a novel technology to chromosomally transform N. lactamica with heterologous antigen, for the purpose of safe delivery to the mucosal surface and the generation of an antigen-specific immune response. N. lactamica was transformed to express the meningococcal vaccine antigen Neisseria Adhesin A (NadA) and was inoculated intranasally into humans at a dose of 105 colony-forming units. NadA-expressing N. lactamica colonized these individuals and was carried asymptomatically for 3 months. Colonization with NadA-expressing N. lactamica generated NadA-specific IgG-secreting plasma cells within 14 days of colonization and both NadA-specific IgG and NadA-specific IgG memory B cells within 28 days of colonization. NadA-specific IgG memory B cells circulate in the bloodstream of colonized participants for at least 90 days. Genetically transformed N. lactamica has the potential to be a safe bacterial vehicle to generate beneficial immune responses to a wide range of heterologous antigens during sustained pharyngeal carriage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (601) ◽  
pp. eabe8573
Author(s):  
Jay R. Laver ◽  
Diane Gbesemete ◽  
Adam P. Dale ◽  
Zoe C. Pounce ◽  
Carl N. Webb ◽  
...  

The human nasopharynx contains a stable microbial ecosystem of commensal and potentially pathogenic bacteria, which can elicit protective primary and secondary immune responses. Experimental intranasal infection of human adults with the commensal Neisseria lactamica produced safe, sustained pharyngeal colonization. This has potential utility as a vehicle for sustained release of antigen to the human mucosa, but commensals in general are thought to be immunologically tolerated. Here, we show that engineered N. lactamica, chromosomally transformed to express a heterologous vaccine antigen, safely induces systemic, antigen-specific immune responses during carriage in humans. When the N. lactamica expressing the meningococcal antigen Neisseria Adhesin A (NadA) was inoculated intranasally into human volunteers, all colonized participants carried the bacteria asymptomatically for at least 28 days, with most (86%) still carrying the bacteria at 90 days. Compared to an otherwise isogenic but phenotypically wild-type strain, colonization with NadA-expressing N. lactamica generated NadA-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG)– and IgA-secreting plasma cells within 14 days of colonization and NadA-specific IgG memory B cells within 28 days of colonization. NadA-specific IgG memory B cells were detected in peripheral blood of colonized participants for at least 90 days. Over the same period, there was seroconversion against NadA and generation of serum bactericidal antibody activity against a NadA-expressing meningococcus. The controlled infection was safe, and there was no transmission to adult bedroom sharers during the 90-day period. Genetically modified N. lactamica could therefore be used to generate beneficial immune responses to heterologous antigens during sustained pharyngeal carriage.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 3162-3162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Diaz ◽  
Karine Bollore ◽  
Chantal Rothschild ◽  
Hervé Chambost ◽  
Ségolène Claeyssens ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3162 Poster Board III-99 Background and objectives Hemophilia A (HA) is a life-threatening hemorrhagic bleeding disorder caused by deficiency of Factor VIII (FVIII). Twenty to thirty percent of HA patients treated by FVIII develop inhibitors. The presence of these inhibitors in high titer (>5 Bethesda Units (BU)/ml) requires modification of the treatment regimen: use of products that by-pass the action of FVIII for haemorrhagic accidents and treatment protocols by immune tolerance induction (ITI) to eradicate inhibitors. The aim of our study was to enumerate and characterize FVIII-specific memory B-cells in peripheral blood by using polyclonal activation of enriched B-cells and an ELISpot assay in hemophilia patients with inhibitors. Methods Two groups of patients were prospectively included. First group included six severe HA patients treated by ITI; three with inhibitors (mean 3.04 ± 0.67 BU/ml; mean 14.6±4.2 years old) while the three others had a past of inhibitors, successfully treated by ITI (<0.6BU/ml; mean 18.6 ±6.3 years old). Second group were six severe HA who never developed inhibitors (mean 19.5±1.7 years old). Circulating FVIII specific memory B-cells were enumerated in each cohort and 13 controls using the ELISpot system as previously described. The results were expressed as the number of FVIII specific Secreting Cells (SCs) (IgG, IgA or IgM)/106 B-cells. Results In the first group,circulating FVIII-specific IgM-SCs were detected in 5 patients (1.07-45/106 B-cells), FVIII-specific IgA-SCs in 6 patients ( 2.9-7.5/106 B-cells).Only in patients with detectable inhibitors, FVIII-specific IgG-SCs (4-5.2/106 B-cells) were detected. In the second group FVIII-specific IgM-SCs (between 5 and 52 per 106 B-cells) were found, one patient had FVIII-specific IgA-SCs (2/106 B-cells). Conclusion We were able to detect FVIII specific memory B-cells. Before the treatment by ITI, the FVIII-specific immune memory seems to be characterized by the presence of circulating FVIII-specific memory B-cells belonging to the three isotype classes whereas FVIII-specific IgG-memory B-cells could not be found after a successful treatment. These results suggest an evolution of the pool of FVIII-specific circulating memory B-cells during the period of ITI. It would be interesting to study the FVIII-specific memory B-cells at the different periods of ITI (before, during and at the end of the protocol).The significance of FVIII specific memory B-cells in HA patients without inhibitor deserve to be study. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Author(s):  
Anna Vaisman-Mentesh ◽  
Yael Dror ◽  
Ran Tur-Kaspa ◽  
Dana Markovitch ◽  
Tatiana Kournos ◽  
...  

The breadth of the humoral immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection was indicated to be important for recovery from COVID-19. Recent studies have provided valuable insights regarding the dynamics of the antibody response in symptomatic COVID-19 patients. However, the information regarding the dynamics of the serological and cellular memory in COVID-19 recovered patients in scarce. It is imperative to determine the persistence of humoral memory in COVID-19 recovered patients as it will help to evaluate the susceptibility of recovered patients to re-infection. Here, we describe the dynamics of both the SARS-CoV-2 specific serological and B cell response in COVID-19 recovered patients. We found that symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients mount a robust antibody response following infection however, the serological memory decays in recovered patients over the period of 6 months. On the other hand, the B cell response as observed in the SARS-CoV-2 specific memory B cell compartment, was found to be stable over time. Moreover, the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 specific B cell plasmablasts was found to be associated with the SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels. These data, suggests that the differentiation of short-lived plasmablasts to become long-lived plasma cells is impaired and the main contributor of antibody production are the short-lived plasmablasts. Overall, our data provides insights regarding the humoral memory persistence in recovered COVID-19 patients. Notwithstanding the insights from this study, it is still to be determined if the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 memory B cells can be considered as a correlate of protection in the absence of serological memory.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Reyes ◽  
Kathleen Clarke ◽  
S. Jake Gonzales ◽  
Angelene M. Cantwell ◽  
Rolando Garza ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits a robust B cell response, resulting in the generation of long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. Here, we aimed to determine the effect of COVID-19 severity on the memory B cell response and characterize changes in the memory B cell compartment between recovery and five months post-symptom onset. Using high-parameter spectral flow cytometry, we analyzed the phenotype of memory B cells with reactivity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein or the spike receptor binding domain (RBD) in recovered individuals who had been hospitalized with non-severe (n=8) or severe (n=5) COVID-19. One month after symptom onset, a substantial proportion of spike-specific IgG+ B cells showed an activated phenotype. In individuals who experienced non-severe disease, spike-specific IgG+ B cells showed increased expression of markers associated with durable B cell memory, including T-bet, FcRL5, and CD11c, which was not observed after severe disease. Five months post-symptom onset, the majority of spike-specific memory B cells had a resting phenotype and the percentage of spike-specific T-bet+ IgG+ memory B cells decreased to baseline levels. Collectively, our results suggest that the memory B cell response elicited during non-severe COVID-19 may be of higher quality than the response after severe disease.


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