scholarly journals Dynamics of neutralizing antibody responses in acute-phase COVID-19: A potential relationship between disease progression and rapid neutralizing antibody response

Author(s):  
Hitoshi Kawasuji ◽  
Yoshitomo Morinaga ◽  
Hideki Tani ◽  
Miyuki Kimura ◽  
Hiroshi Yamada ◽  
...  

AbstractIntroductionAdaptive immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) dynamics remain largely unknown. The neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are helpful for understanding the pathology.Patients and MethodsUsing SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus, serum sample neutralization values in symptomatic COVID-19 patients were measured using the chemiluminescence reduction neutralization test (CRNT). At least two sequential serum samples collected during hospitalization were analyzed to assess NAbs neutralizing activity dynamics at different time points.ResultsOf the 11 patients, four (36.4%), six (54.5%), and one (9.1%) had moderate, severe, and critical disease, respectively. Fifty percent neutralization (N50%-CRNT) was observed upon admission in 90.9% (10/11); all patients acquired neutralizing activity 2–12 days after onset. In patients with moderate disease, neutralization was observed at earliest within two days after symptom onset. In patients with severe-to-critical disease, neutralization activity increased, plateauing 9–16 days after onset. Neutralization activity on admission was significantly higher in patients with moderate disease than in patients with severe-to-critical disease (relative % of infectivity, 6.4% vs. 41.1%; P=.0011).ConclusionsNeutralization activity on admission inversely correlated with disease severity. The rapid NAb response may play a crucial role in preventing the progression of COVID-19.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Kawasuji ◽  
Yoshitomo Morinaga ◽  
Hideki Tani ◽  
Miyuki Kimura ◽  
Hiroshi Yamada ◽  
...  

AbstractAdaptive immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) dynamics remain largely unknown. The neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are helpful for understanding the pathology. Using SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus, serum sample neutralization values in symptomatic COVID-19 patients were measured using the chemiluminescence reduction neutralization test (CRNT). At least two sequential serum samples collected during hospitalization were analyzed to assess NAbs neutralizing activity dynamics at different time points. Of the 11 patients, four (36.4%), six (54.5%), and one (9.1%) had moderate, severe, and critical disease, respectively. Fifty percent neutralization (N50%-CRNT) was observed upon admission in 90.9% (10/11); all patients acquired neutralizing activity 2–12 days after onset. In patients with moderate disease, neutralization was observed at earliest within two days after symptom onset. In patients with severe-to-critical disease, neutralization activity increased, plateauing 9–16 days after onset. Neutralization activity on admission was significantly higher in patients with moderate disease than in patients with severe-to-critical disease (relative % of infectivity, 6.4% vs. 41.1%; P = .011). Neutralization activity on admission inversely correlated with disease severity. The rapid NAb response may play a crucial role in preventing the progression of COVID-19.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 239
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Gonelli ◽  
Hannah A. D. King ◽  
Charlene Mackenzie ◽  
Secondo Sonza ◽  
Rob J. Center ◽  
...  

An optimal prophylactic vaccine to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) transmission should elicit protective antibody responses against the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env). Replication-incompetent HIV-1 virus-like particles (VLPs) offer the opportunity to present virion-associated Env with a native-like structure during vaccination that closely resembles that encountered on infectious virus. Here, we optimized the incorporation of Env into previously designed mature-form VLPs (mVLPs) and assessed their immunogenicity in mice. The incorporation of Env into mVLPs was increased by replacing the Env transmembrane and cytoplasmic tail domains with those of influenza haemagglutinin (HA-TMCT). Furthermore, Env was stabilized on the VLP surface by introducing an interchain disulfide and proline substitution (SOSIP) mutations typically employed to stabilize soluble Env trimers. The resulting mVLPs efficiently presented neutralizing antibody epitopes while minimizing exposure of non-neutralizing antibody sites. Vaccination of mice with mVLPs elicited a broader range of Env-specific antibody isotypes than Env presented on immature VLPs or extracellular vesicles. The mVLPs bearing HA-TMCT-modified Env consistently induced anti-Env antibody responses that mediated modest neutralization activity. These mVLPs are potentially useful immunogens for eliciting neutralizing antibody responses that target native Env epitopes on infectious HIV-1 virions.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1347
Author(s):  
Claudia Maria Trombetta ◽  
Serena Marchi ◽  
Simonetta Viviani ◽  
Alessandro Manenti ◽  
Linda Benincasa ◽  
...  

The recent spreading of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, carrying several mutations in the spike protein, could impact immune protection elicited by natural infection or conferred by vaccination. In this study, we evaluated the neutralizing activity against the viral variants that emerged in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), Brazil (P.1), and South Africa (B.1.351) in human serum samples from hospitalized patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the first pandemic wave in Italy in 2020. Of the patients studied, 59.5% showed a decrease (≥2 fold) in neutralizing antibody titer against B.1.1.7, 83.3% against P.1, and 90.5% against B.1.351 with respect to the original strain. The reduction in antibody titers against all analyzed variants, and in particular P.1 and B.1.351, suggests that previous symptomatic infection might be not fully protective against exposure to SARS-CoV-2 variants carrying a set of relevant spike mutations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. eabe6855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Beltrán-Pavez ◽  
Sebastián Riquelme-Barrios ◽  
Aarón Oyarzún-Arrau ◽  
Aracelly Gaete-Argel ◽  
Roxana González-Stegmaier ◽  
...  

Chile has one of the worst numbers worldwide in terms of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and COVID-19–related deaths per million inhabitants; thus, characterization of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses in the general population is critical to understanding of immunity at the local level. Given our inability to perform massive classical neutralization assays due to the scarce availability of BSL-3 facilities in the country, we developed and fully characterized an HIV-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype, which was used in a 96-well plate format to investigate NAb responses in samples from individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or treated with convalescent plasma. We also identified samples with decreased or enhanced neutralization activity against the D614G spike variant compared with the wild type, indicating the relevance of this variant in host immunity. The data presented here represent the first insights into NAb responses in individuals from Chile, serving as a guide for future studies in the country.


1976 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 437-442
Author(s):  
G Gerna ◽  
R W Chambers

A new plaque assay for the quantitation of varicella-zoster virus and a plaque reduction neutralization test for the determination of neutralizing antibody titer have been developed using the indirect immunoperoxidase technique. As compared with the classical plaque assay using a solid overlay, the test gives earlier results since plaque counting can be performed on day 3 after the inoculation of cell cultures. In six patients with zoster infection, neutralizing antibody titers ranged from 1:20 to 1:40 before the onset of infection and reached high levels (1:320 to 1:5,120) during the convalescent phase of the disease. Complement-fixing (CF) titers were all negative (less than 1:8) in prezoster serum samples from the same patients and ranged from 1:128 to 1:2,048 in the convalescent-phase sera. In the two cases in which late serum samples were available, neutralizing antibody titers matched the preillness levels, whereas CF titers dropped to undetectable levels. Neither neutralizing nor CF antibody was detected in two sera from individuals with no history of varicella-zoster infection. No differences in virus titers or neutralizing antibody titers were observed between the immunoperoxidase and the classical plaque assays. The appropriate characterization of reagent specificity is required before routine application of the test.


2021 ◽  
Vol 156 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S32-S32
Author(s):  
Y R Luo ◽  
C Yun ◽  
A H Wu ◽  
K L Lynch ◽  
I Chakraborty

Abstract Introduction/Objective Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, much research has focused on the kinetics and magnitude of humoral immune response. With the advantages of monitoring real-time immunoreactions, label-free immunoassay (LFIA) is becoming a powerful tool in serology studies. We have developed LFIAs to measure SARS- CoV-2 antibody avidity and neutralization activity in a cohort of COVID-19 patients and determine if they correlate with antibody concentration. Serial serum samples collected from mild to severe COVID-19 patients were measured out to 8 months post-symptom onset to determine the durability of the neutralizing antibody response. Methods/Case Report Based on thin-film interferometry technology, we established a label-free IgG avidity assay and a label-free surrogate virus neutralization test (LF-sVNT). For measurement, sensing probes pre-coated with receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are applied to serum samples containing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The label-free IgG avidity assay measures the binding strength between RBD and IgG under urea dissociation. The LF-sVNT analyzes the binding ability of RBD to ACE2 after neutralizing RBD with antibodies. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) IgG avidity indices and neutralizing antibody titers (IC50) were determined from serum samples (n=246) from COVID-19 patients (n=113). IgG concentrations were measured using a fluorescent immunoassay. The neutralizing antibody titers showed a weak correlation with IgG concentrations and no correlation with IgG avidity indices. Over the time course up to 8 months post-symptom onset, IgG concentrations and neutralizing antibody titers presented similar trends: an initial rise, plateau and then in some cases a gradual decline after 40 days. The IgG avidity indices, in the same cases, plateaued after the initial rise. Conclusion The results demonstrated that LFIA could be used an excellent solution in the determination of SARS- CoV-2 antibody characteristics. The study found that IgG concentration and neutralizing antibody titer declined over time, while IgG avidity index remained constant after reaching a plateau. The decline of antibody neutralization activity can be attributed to the reduction in antibody quantity rather than the deterioration of antibody quality, as measured by antibody avidity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (10) ◽  
pp. 1620-1628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven B Bradfute ◽  
Ivy Hurwitz ◽  
Alexandra V Yingling ◽  
Chunyan Ye ◽  
Qiuying Cheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Convalescent plasma (CP) is a potentially important therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, knowledge regarding neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers in donor plasma and their impact in patients with acute COVID-19 remains largely undetermined. We measured NAb titers in CP and in patients with acute COVID-19 before and after transfusion through the traditional Food and Drug Administration investigational new drug pathway. Methods We performed a single-arm interventional trial measuring NAb and total antibody titers before and after CP transfusion over a 14-day period in hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Results NAb titers in the donor CP units were low (<1:40 to 1:160) and had no effect on recipient neutralizing activity 1 day after transfusion. NAb titers were detected in 6 of 12 patients on enrollment and in 11 of 12 at ≥2 time points. Average titers peaked on day 7 and declined toward day 14 (P = .004). Nab titers and immunoglobulin G levels were correlated in donor plasma units (ρ = 0.938; P < .001) and in the cumulative patient measures (ρ = 0.781; P < .001). Conclusions CP infusion did not alter recipient NAb titers. Prescreening of CP may be necessary for selecting donors with high titers of neutralizing activity for infusion into patients with COVID-19. Clinical Trials Registration NCT04434131.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasamon Wanlapakorn ◽  
Nungruthai Suntronwong ◽  
Harit Phowatthanasathian ◽  
Ritthideach Yorsang ◽  
Thanunrat Thongmee ◽  
...  

Abstract Limited data are available on the responses to heterologous vaccine regimens for SARS-CoV-2, especially among countries using inactivated and adenoviral-vectored vaccines. A total of 77 participants who received heterologous prime/booster-inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac) and adenoviral-vectored vaccine (AZD1222) were enrolled in our study. There were two comparison groups vaccinated with the homologous CoronaVac (N = 80) and AZD1222 (N = 80) regimen. All sera samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD) IgG using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). The neutralizing activity in a subset of serum samples was tested against the original Wuhan strain and variants of concern, B.1.1.7, B.1.617.2 and B.1.351, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). The heterologous CoronaVac/AZD1222 vaccine induced higher levels of spike RBD-specific IgG than that of two-dose homologous CoronaVac or AZD1222 vaccines (p < 0.001). Sera samples of the CoronaVac/AZD1222 vaccine recipients elicited higher neutralizing antibody activity against the original Wuhan and all variants of concern than in the recipients of the two-dose CoronaVac. Nevertheless, there were no difference in neutralizing activity against the original Wuhan and B.1.1.7 strain among heterologous CoronaVac/AZD1222 and homologous AZD1222 vaccine recipients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arantxa Valdivia ◽  
Ignacio Torres ◽  
Victor Latorre ◽  
Carla Frances-Gomez ◽  
Eliseo Albert ◽  
...  

Background: Whether antibody levels measured by commercially-available enzyme or chemiluminescent immunoassays targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein can act as a proxy for serum neutralizing activity remains to be established for many of these assays. Objectives: To evaluate the degree of correlation between neutralizing antibodies (NtAb) binding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein and SARS-CoV-2-S-IgG levels measured by four commercial immunoassays in sera drawn from hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients and Methods: Ninety sera from 51 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were assayed by a pseudotyped virus neutralization assay, the LIAISON SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG, the Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA, the MAGLUMI 2019-nCoV IgG and the COVID-19 ELISA IgG assays. Results: Overall, the results obtained with the COVID-19 ELISA IgG test showed the highest agreement with the NtAb assay (κ, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.63-1). The most sensitive tests were the pseudotyped virus NtAb assay and the COVID-19 ELISA IgG assay (92.2% for both). Overall, the degree correlation between antibody titers resulting in 50% virus neutralization (NtAb50) in the pseudotyped virus assay and SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels was strong for the Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA (Rho=0.73) and moderate for the remaining assays (Rho=0.48 to 0.59). The kinetic profile of serum NtAb50 titers could not be reliably predicted by any of the SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunoassays. Conclusions: the suitability of SARS-CoV-2-S-IgG commercial immunoassays for inferring neutralizing activity of sera from hospitalized COVID-19 patients varies widely across tests and is influenced by the time of sera collection after the onset of symptoms.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Sheward ◽  
Changil Kim ◽  
Roy A. Ehling ◽  
Alec Pankow ◽  
Xaquin Castro Dopico ◽  
...  

The recently-emerged SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 variant (Omicron) is spreading rapidly in many countries, with a spike that is highly diverged from the pandemic founder, raising fears that it may evade neutralizing antibody responses. We cloned the Omicron spike from a diagnostic sample which allowed us to rapidly establish an Omicron pseudotyped virus neutralization assay, sharing initial neutralization results only 13 days after the variant was first reported to the WHO, 8 days after receiving the sample. Here we show that Omicron is substantially resistant to neutralization by several monoclonal antibodies that form part of clinical cocktails. Further, we find neutralizing antibody responses in pooled reference sera sampled shortly after infection or vaccination are substantially less potent against Omicron, with neutralizing antibody titers reduced by up to 45 fold compared to those for the pandemic founder. Similarly, in a cohort of convalescent sera prior to vaccination, neutralization of Omicron was low to undetectable. However, in recent samples from two cohorts from Stockholm, Sweden, antibody responses capable of cross-neutralizing Omicron were prevalent. Sera from infected-then-vaccinated healthcare workers exhibited robust cross-neutralization of Omicron, with an average potency reduction of only 5-fold relative to the pandemic founder variant, and some donors showing no loss at all. A similar pattern was observed in randomly sampled recent blood donors, with an average 7-fold loss of potency. Both cohorts showed substantial between-donor heterogeneity in their ability to neutralize Omicron. Together, these data highlight the extensive but incomplete evasion of neutralizing antibody responses by the Omicron variant, and suggest that increasing the magnitude of neutralizing antibody responses by boosting with unmodified vaccines may suffice to raise titers to levels that are protective.


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