scholarly journals Neutralizing Antibodies Correlate with Protection from SARS-CoV-2 in Humans during a Fishery Vessel Outbreak with a High Attack Rate

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Addetia ◽  
Katharine H. D. Crawford ◽  
Adam Dingens ◽  
Haiying Zhu ◽  
Pavitra Roychoudhury ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 would be greatly facilitated by the identification of immunological correlates of protection in humans. However, to date, studies on protective immunity have been performed only in animal models and correlates of protection have not been established in humans. Here, we describe an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 on a fishing vessel associated with a high attack rate. Predeparture serological and viral reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) testing along with repeat testing after return to shore was available for 120 of the 122 persons on board over a median follow-up of 32.5 days (range, 18.8 to 50.5 days). A total of 104 individuals had an RT-PCR-positive viral test with a cycle threshold (CT) of <35 or seroconverted during the follow-up period, yielding an attack rate on board of 85.2% (104/122 individuals). Metagenomic sequencing of 39 viral genomes suggested that the outbreak originated largely from a single viral clade. Only three crew members tested seropositive prior to the boat’s departure in initial serological screening and also had neutralizing and spike-reactive antibodies in follow-up assays. None of the crew members with neutralizing antibody titers showed evidence of bona fide viral infection or experienced any symptoms during the viral outbreak. Therefore, the presence of neutralizing antibodies from prior infection was significantly associated with protection against reinfection (Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.002).

Author(s):  
Amin Addetia ◽  
Katharine HD Crawford ◽  
Adam Dingens ◽  
Haiying Zhu ◽  
Pavitra Roychoudhury ◽  
...  

The development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 would be greatly facilitated by the identification of immunological correlates of protection in humans. However, to date, studies on protective immunity have only been performed in animal models and correlates of protection have not been established in humans. Here, we describe an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 on a fishing vessel associated with a high attack rate. Predeparture serological and viral RT-PCR testing along with repeat testing after return to shore was available for 120 of the 122 persons on board over a median follow-up of 32.5 days (range 18.8 to 50.5 days). A total of 104 individuals had an RT-PCR positive viral test with Ct <35 or seroconverted during the follow-up period, yielding an attack rate on board of 85.2% (104/122 individuals). Metagenomic sequencing of 39 viral genomes suggested the outbreak originated largely from a single viral clade. Only three crewmembers tested seropositive prior to the boat's departure in initial serological screening and also had neutralizing and spike-reactive antibodies in follow-up assays. None of these crewmembers with neutralizing antibody titers showed evidence of bona fide viral infection or experienced any symptoms during the viral outbreak. Therefore, the presence of neutralizing antibodies from prior infection was significantly associated with protection against re-infection (Fisher's exact test, p=0.002).


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Savio ◽  
Stefano Calza ◽  
Gianbattista Guerrini ◽  
Valentina Romano ◽  
Eleonora Marchina

Background: COVID-19 outbursts have been registered worldwide within care homes with asymptomatic transmission combined with shortage/inaccuracy of diagnostic tests undermining the efforts at containment of the disease. Nursing facilities in Lombardy (Italy) were left with no, or limited, access to testing for 8 weeks after the outbreak of COVID-19.Methods: This study includes 246 residents and 286 workers of three different nursing homes in Brescia-Lombardy. Clinical questionnaires and rapid serology tests were devised to integrate the data of the first available RT-PCR screening. Follow-up serology after 60-days was performed on 67 of 86 workers with positive serology or clinically suspicious.Findings: Thirty-seven residents and 18 workers had previous positive RT-PCR. Thorough screening disclosed two additional RT-PCR-positive workers. Serology screening revealed antibodies in 59 residents and 48 workers, including 32/37 residents and all workers previously positive at RT-PCR. Follow up serology disclosed antibodies in two additional workers with recent symptoms at the time of screening. The professionals in close contact with residents had more infections (47/226–20.79% vs. 1/60–1.66%; p = 0.00013 Fisher exact-test). A suspicious clinical score was present in 44/64 residents and in 41/50 workers who tested positive with either method with totally asymptomatic disease more frequent among residents 28.1 vs. 10.0% (p = 0.019 Fisher exact-test).Interpretation: Based on the available RT-PCR ± results at the time of symptoms/contacts, our integrated clinical and serological screening demonstrated sensitivity 89% and specificity 87%. This multimodal assessment proved extremely useful in understanding the viral spread in nursing homes, in defining its stage and in implementing protective measures. Rapid serology tests demonstrated efficient and particularly suited for older people less able to move/cooperate.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Gaeddert ◽  
Philip Kitchen ◽  
Tobias Broger ◽  
Stefan Weber ◽  
Ralf Bartenschlager ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundAfter infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and virus-specific neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) develop. This study describes antibody responses in a cohort of recovered COVID-19 patients to identify predictors.MethodsWe recruited patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from Heidelberg, Germany. Blood samples were collected three weeks after COVID-19 symptoms ended. Participants with high antibody titers were invited for follow-up visits. IgG titers were measured by the Euroimmun Assay, and nAbs titers in a SARS-CoV-2 infection-based assay.Results281 participants were enrolled between April and August 2020 with IgG testing, 145 (51.6%) had nAbs, and 35 (12.5%) had follow-up. The median IgG optical density (OD) ratio was 3.1 (Interquartile range (IQR) 1.6-5.1), and 24.1% (35/145) had a nAb titer>1:80. Higher IgG titers were associated with increased age and more severe disease, and higher nAbs were associated with male gender and CT-value of 25-30 on RT-PCR at diagnosis. The median IgG OD ratio on follow-up was 3.7 (IQR 2.9-5.9), a median increase of 0.5 (IQR −0.3-1.7). Six participants with follow-up nAbs all had titers ≤ 1:80.ConclusionsWhile age and disease severity were correlated with IgG responses, predictive factors for nAbs in convalescent patients remain unclear.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S74-S75
Author(s):  
Joseph B Domachowske ◽  
Veronique Bianco ◽  
Ana Ceballos ◽  
Luis Cousin ◽  
Ulises D’Andrea ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) during infancy worldwide. High cord blood (CB) concentrations of anti-RSV neutralizing antibody (nAb) may attenuate, delay, or prevent infant infection. We report RSV A and B nAb concentrations in CB and serum from a birth cohort at different time points through 2 years of age. Methods Between 2013 and 2017, newborns from 8 countries were studied prospectively from birth to 2 years of age (NCT01995175). CB was collected at birth for the entire cohort. A subcohort of children was randomly assigned to have one blood sample collected again at either 2, 4, 6, 12, 18, or 24 months of age. Sera were analyzed for RSV A and B nAb concentrations by serum neutralization assay. Active surveillance was used to identify LRTIs during the 2-year follow-up as previously reported. Results In total, 2,401 newborns were enrolled and followed up. >99% of infants had detectable CB RSV A and B nAb. Geometric mean antibody titers (GMTs) varied by country, but were overall higher for RSV B than for RSV A (327 vs. 251; Figure 1). The lowest GMTs were seen from CB sera collected from South African newborns (197 RSV A, 255 RSV B); Canadian newborns had the highest RSV A GMT (383), while Hondurans had the highest RSV B GMT (460). 1380 infants provided follow-up serum nAb results as part of the subcohort (Figure 2). Dramatic waning of GMTs was evident, with a ~3-fold drop in GMTs at 2 months of age, and an additional ~2-fold drop between 2 and 4 months of age. At 6 and 12 months of age, 71% and 50% of infants had RSV A nAb and GMTs were at a nadir of 14. At 6, 12, and 18 months of age, RSV B nAb was detected in 98%, 69%, and 63% of infants, respectively. The RSV B nAb nadir GMT of 20 was observed at 12 months of age, while the 6- and 18-month RSV B nAb GMTs were 30 and 31, respectively. A total of 1,017 LRTIs were identified during the 2-year study period; of which, 94 (9%) were caused by RSV A and 132 (13%) by RSV B. Associations between CB nAb levels and RSV infection will be presented. Conclusion Neutralizing Ab to RSV A and B was present at birth in infants from 8 countries, and waned over time. GMTs were at a nadir at 6 to 12 months of age. Funding. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA. Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A Sariol ◽  
Petraleigh Pantoja ◽  
Crisanta Serrano-Collazo ◽  
Tiffant Rosa-Arocho ◽  
Albersy Armina ◽  
...  

On this work we report that despite of a decline in the total anti-Spike antibodies the neutralizing antibodies remains at a similar level for an average of 98 days in a longitudinal cohort of 59 Hispanic/Latino exposed to SARS-CoV-2. We are also reporting that the percentage of neutralization correlates with the IgG titers and that in the first collected samples, IgG1 was the predominant isotype (62.71%), followed by IgG4 (15.25%), IgG3 (13.56%), and IgG2 (8.47%) during the tested period. The IgA was detectable in 28.81% of subjects. Only 62.71% of all subjects have detectable IgM in the first sample despite of confirmed infection by a molecular method. Our data suggests that 100% that seroconvert make detectable neutralizing antibody responses measured by a surrogate viral neutralization test. We also found that the IgG titers and neutralizing activity were higher after the first dose in 10 vaccinated subjects out of the 59 with prior infection compare to a subgroup of 21 subjects naive to SARS-CoV-2. One dose was enough but two were necessary to reach the maximum percentage of neutralization in subjects with previous natural infection or naive to SARS-CoV-2 respectively. Like the pattern seen after the natural infection, after the second vaccine dose, the total anti-S antibodies and titers declined but not the neutralizing activity which remains at same levels for more than 80 days after the first vaccine dose. That decline, however, was significantly lower in pre-exposed individuals which denotes the contribution of the natural infection priming a more robust immune response to the vaccine. Also, our data indicates that the natural infection induces a more robust humoral immune response than the first vaccine dose in unexposed subjects. However, the difference was significant only when the neutralization was measured but not by assessing the total anti-S antibodies or the IgG titers. This work is an important contribution to understand the natural immune response to the novel coronavirus in a population severely hit by the virus. Also provide an invaluable data by comparing the dynamic of the immune response after the natural infection vs. the vaccination and suggesting that a functional test is a better marker than the presence or not of antibodies. On this context our results are also highly relevant to consider standardizing methods that in addition to serve as a tool to follow up the immune response to the vaccines may also provide a correlate of protection.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Marta ◽  
David Baker ◽  
Paul Creeke ◽  
Gareth Pryce ◽  
Sharmilee Gnanapavan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundAntigen-specific tolerance in auto-immune diseases is the goal for effective treatment with minimal side-effects. Whilst this is achievable in animal models, notably via intravenous delivery of the model-specific autoantigen following transient CD4 T cell depletion, specific multiple sclerosis autoantigens remain unproven. However, anti-drug antibodies to human therapeutic proteins represent a model human autoimmune condition, which may be used to examine immune-tolerance induction. Some people with MS (PwMS) on interferon-beta1a (IFNβ1a) develop neutralizing antibodies to IFNβ1a that do not disappear in repeated tests over years.MethodsOne PwMS was recruited, as part of a planned phase IIa trial (n=15), who had developed neutralizing antibodies to subcutaneous IFNβ1a. Mitoxantrone (12mg/m2) was administered as a lymphocyte depleting agent followed by four days of (88μg/day + three 132μg/day) intravenous IFNβ1a. Subcutaneous IFNβ1a three times a week was maintained during follow-up. IFNβ1a neutralizing antibody responses in serum were measured during treatment and three-monthly for 12 months.FindingsOne participant was recruited and, within 6 months of tolerization, the neutralizing antibodies were undetectable. The tolerization treatment was well tolerated. However, the study was terminated after the first enrolment, on ethical grounds, as treatment alternatives became available and the potential risks of mitoxantrone use increased.InterpretationThe data suggest that it may be possible to induce antigen-specific tolerance by providing tolerogenic antigen following transient immune depletion. Further studies are warranted.FundingThe study was supported by an unrestricted research grant from Merck-Serono.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1139
Author(s):  
Xiaoguang Li ◽  
Chao Liang ◽  
Xiumei Xiao

This study investigated the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing antibodies following inoculation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine. From June to July 2021, 127 participants who had completed COVID-19 vaccination (inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 64; CoronaVac, 61; CanSino, 2) were recruited and tested using SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody kits. The positive detection rate (inhibition of neutralizing antibodies ≥ 30%) was calculated and stratified according to population characteristics and inoculation time. The positive rate of neutralizing antibody was 47.22% (17/36) in men and 53.85% (49/91) in women, and 54.55% (24/44) in BMI ≥ 24 and 50.60% (42/83) in BMI < 24. Age was stratified as 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, and ≥50; positive detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies were observed in 60.00% (24/40), 50.00% (21/42), 48.39% (15/31), and 42.86% (6/14), respectively, but with no significant difference (x2 = 1.724, p = 0.632). Among 127 vaccinated participants, 66 (51.97%) were positive. The positive detection rate was 63.93% (39/61) with CoronaVac and 42.19% (27/64) with the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (significance x2 = 5.927, p = 0.015). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant difference in vaccination times, with average vaccination weeks in the positive and negative groups of 11.57 ± 6.48 and 17.87 ± 9.17, respectively (t= −4.501, p < 0.001). The positive neutralizing antibody rate was 100.00%, 60.00%, 58.33%, 55.56%, 43.14%, 28.57%, and 0.00% at 2–4, 5–8, 9–12, 13–16,17–20, 21–24, and >24 weeks, respectively (x2 = 18.030, p = 0.006). Neutralizing antibodies were detected after COVID-19 inoculation, with differences relating to inoculation timing. This study provides a reference for vaccine evaluation and follow-up immunization strengthening.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramon Roozendaal ◽  
Laura Solforosi ◽  
Daniel Stieh ◽  
Jan Serroyen ◽  
Roel Straetemans ◽  
...  

The first COVID-19 vaccines have recently gained authorization for emergency use.1,2 At this moment, limited knowledge on duration of immunity and efficacy of these vaccines is available. Data on other coronaviruses after natural infection suggest that immunity to SARS-CoV-2 might be short lived,3,4 and preliminary evidence indicates waning antibody titers following SARS-CoV-2 infection.5 Here we model the relationship between immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a series of Ad26 vectors encoding stabilized variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein in rhesus macaques6,7,8 and validate the analyses by challenging macaques 6 months after immunization with the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine candidate that has been selected for clinical development. We find that Ad26.COV2.S confers durable protection against replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs that is predicted by the levels of S-binding and neutralizing antibodies. These results suggest that Ad26.COV2.S could confer durable protection in humans and that immunological correlates of protection may enable the prediction of durability of protection.


1980 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. T. Wagenvoort ◽  
M. Harmsen ◽  
Barry J. Khader Boutahar-Trouw ◽  
C. A. Kraaijeveld ◽  
K. C. Winkler

SUMMARYIn a Dutch population group neutralizing antibodies against mumps virus were determined by a plaque reduction technique, which proved reproducible, sensitive and specific. The results with sera of about 800 suburban children show that mumps is acquired at an early age with peak acquisition rates between the ages of four and six years. Over 90% have acquired mumps before the age of 14 years. More than 95% of about 1000 adults (18–05 years) have neutralizing antibodies. The relatively constant median titre suggests that antibodies persist during life.During a family study 77 clinical and 18 subclinical cases were observed. In families with index cases the attack rate was 26/37 = 0·71. Eleven children (excluding six babies) esćaped infection. The mean attack rate during the epidemic was 0·30. The mean titre of mumps neutralizing antibody is maximal during the first year after the disease but declines during childhood. Mothers exposed to mumps in the family occasionally showed a significant rise in titre. Some seronegative mothers remained seronegative after exposure.


Author(s):  
Mai Kishimoto ◽  
Bernard M. Hang’ombe ◽  
William W. Hall ◽  
Yasuko Orba ◽  
Hirofumi Sawa ◽  
...  

Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infects a wide range of hosts and can cause encephalitis, myocarditis, reproductive disorders and diabetes mellitus in selected mammalian species. As for humans, EMCV infection seems to occur by the contact with animals and can cause febrile illnesses in some infected patients. Here we isolated EMCV strain ZM12/14 from a natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis: M. natalensis) in Zambia. Pairwise sequence similarity of the ZM12/14 P1 region consisting of antigenic capsid proteins showed the highest similarity of nucleotide (80.7 %) and amino acid (96.2%) sequence with EMCV serotype 1 (EMCV-1). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ZM12/14 clustered into EMCV-1 at the P1 and P3 regions but segregated from known EMCV strains at the P2 region, suggesting a unique evolutionary history. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) screening and neutralizing antibody assays for EMCV were performed using collected tissues and serum from various rodents (n=179) captured in different areas in Zambia. We detected the EMCV genome in 19 M. natalensis (19/179=10.6 %) and neutralizing antibody for EMCV in 33 M. natalensis (33/179=18.4 %). However, we did not detect either the genome or neutralizing antibody in other rodent species. High neutralizing antibody litres (≧320) were observed in both RT-PCR-negative and -positive animals. Inoculation of ZM12/14 caused asymptomatic persistent infection in BALB/c mice with high antibody titres and high viral loads in some organs, consistent with the above epidemiological results. This study is the first report of the isolation of EMCV in Zambia, suggesting that M. natalensis may play a role as a natural reservoir of infection.


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