scholarly journals Decline of Humoral Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Spike in Convalescent Individuals

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussières ◽  
Annemarie Laumaea ◽  
Sai Priya Anand ◽  
Jérémie Prévost ◽  
Romain Gasser ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In the absence of effective vaccines and with limited therapeutic options, convalescent plasma is being collected across the globe for potential transfusion to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The therapy has been deemed safe, and several clinical trials assessing its efficacy are ongoing. While it remains to be formally proven, the presence of neutralizing antibodies is thought to play a positive role in the efficacy of this treatment. Indeed, neutralizing titers of ≥1:160 have been recommended in some convalescent plasma trials for inclusion. Here, we performed repeated analyses at 1-month intervals on 31 convalescent individuals to evaluate how the humoral responses against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike glycoprotein, including neutralization, evolve over time. We observed that the levels of receptor-binding-domain (RBD)-specific IgG and IgA slightly decreased between 6 and 10 weeks after the onset of symptoms but that RBD-specific IgM levels decreased much more abruptly. Similarly, we observed a significant decrease in the capacity of convalescent plasma to neutralize pseudoparticles bearing wild-type SARS-CoV-2 S or its D614G variant. If neutralization activity proves to be an important factor in the clinical efficacy of convalescent plasma transfer, our results suggest that plasma from convalescent donors should be recovered rapidly after resolution of symptoms. IMPORTANCE While waiting for an efficient vaccine to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection, alternative approaches to treat or prevent acute COVID-19 are urgently needed. Transfusion of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients is currently being explored; neutralizing activity in convalescent plasma is thought to play a central role in the efficacy of this treatment. Here, we observed that plasma neutralization activity decreased a few weeks after the onset of the symptoms. If neutralizing activity is required for the efficacy of convalescent plasma transfer, our results suggest that convalescent plasma should be recovered rapidly after the donor recovers from active infection.

Author(s):  
Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussières ◽  
Annemarie Laumaea ◽  
Sai Priya Anand ◽  
Jérémie Prévost ◽  
Romain Gasser ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn the absence of effective vaccines and with limited therapeutic options, convalescent plasma is being collected across the globe for potential transfusion to COVID-19 patients. The therapy has been deemed safe and several clinical trials assessing its efficacy are ongoing. While it remains to be formally proven, the presence of neutralizing antibodies is thought to play a positive role in the efficacy of this treatment. Indeed, neutralizing titers of ≥1:160 have been recommended in some convalescent plasma trials for inclusion. Here we performed repeated analyses at one-month interval on 31 convalescent individuals to evaluate how the humoral responses against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike, including neutralization, evolve over time. We observed that receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific IgG slightly decreased between six and ten weeks after symptoms onset but RBD-specific IgM decreased much more abruptly. Similarly, we observed a significant decrease in the capacity of convalescent plasma to neutralize pseudoparticles bearing SARS-CoV-2 S wild-type or its D614G variant. If neutralization activity proves to be an important factor in the clinical efficacy of convalescent plasma transfer, our results suggest that plasma from convalescent donors should be recovered rapidly after symptoms resolution.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Graham ◽  
Jeffrey Seow ◽  
Isabella Huettner ◽  
Hataf Khan ◽  
Neophytos Kouphou ◽  
...  

The interaction of the SARS–CoV–2 Spike receptor binding domain (RBD) with the ACE2 receptor on host cells is essential for viral entry. RBD is the dominant target for neutralizing antibodies and several neutralizing epitopes on RBD have been molecularly characterized. Analysis of circulating SARS–CoV–2 variants has revealed mutations arising in the RBD, the N–terminal domain (NTD) and S2 subunits of Spike. To fully understand how these mutations affect the antigenicity of Spike, we have isolated and characterized neutralizing antibodies targeting epitopes beyond the already identified RBD epitopes. Using recombinant Spike as a sorting bait, we isolated >100 Spike–reactive monoclonal antibodies from SARS–CoV–2 infected individuals. ≈45% showed neutralizing activity of which ≈20% were NTD–specific. None of the S2–specific antibodies showed neutralizing activity. Competition ELISA revealed that NTD–specific mAbs formed two distinct groups: the first group was highly potent against infectious virus, whereas the second was less potent and displayed glycan–dependant neutralization activity. Importantly, mutations present in B.1.1.7 Spike frequently conferred resistance to neutralization by the NTD–specific neutralizing antibodies. This work demonstrates that neutralizing antibodies targeting subdominant epitopes need to be considered when investigating antigenic drift in emerging variants.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pai Peng ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Hai-jun Deng ◽  
Bei-zhong Liu ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractMany countries around the world have all seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases as the second wave since the beginning of October 2020. Decline of antibodies response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that was reported exclusively in the early month increases the risk of reinfection for convalescent individuals. There is a current need to follow the maintenance of special antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we reported changes of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in convalescent patients over 8 months. Antibodies of all 20 participants targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding-domain (RBD) had decreased from a mean OD450 value 1.78 to 0.38 over 8 months. The neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers decreased from the mean ID50 value 836 to 170. The NAb titers were significantly correlated with IgG level during 8 months (P<0.001). Furthermore, while RBD-specific IgG existence of 25% (5/20) convalescent plasma was undetectable, the NAb titers of 15% (3/20) convalescent plasma decreased below the threshold. In addition, compared to wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (S-D614), lower titers of neutralizing antibodies against its G614 variant were shown at 8 months after symptom onset. This study has important implications when considering antibody protection against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Cheng ◽  
Shuo Song ◽  
Bing Zhou ◽  
Xiangyang Ge ◽  
Jiazhen Yu ◽  
...  

AbstractThe emergence and rapid spread of the B.1.1.7 lineage (VOC-202012/01) SARS-CoV-2 variant has aroused global concern. The N501Y substitution is the only mutation in the interface between the RBD of B.1.1.7 and ACE2, raising concerns that its recognition by neutralizing antibodies may be affected. Here, we assessed the neutralizing activity and binding affinity of a panel of 12 monoclonal antibodies against the wild type and N501Y mutant SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and RBD protein, respectively. We found that the neutralization activity and binding affinity of most detected antibodies (10 out of 12) were unaffected, although the N501Y substitution decreased the neutralizing and binding activities of CB6 and increased that of BD-23. These findings could be of value in the development of therapeutic antibodies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 3158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinle Cui ◽  
Zhouhong Cao ◽  
Shuishu Wang ◽  
Michael Flora ◽  
Stuart P. Adler ◽  
...  

Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and HCMV infection of immunosuppressed patients cause significant morbidity and mortality, and vaccine development against HCMV is a major public health priority. HCMV envelope glycoproteins gB, gH, and gL, which constitute the core fusion machinery, play critical roles in HCMV fusion and entry into host cells. HCMV gB and gH/gL have been reported to elicit potent neutralizing antibodies. Recently, the gB/gH/gL complex was identified in the envelope of HCMV virions, and 16–50% of the total gH/gL bound to gB, forming the gB/gH/gL complex. These findings make the gB/gH/gL a unique HCMV vaccine candidate. We previously reported the production of HCMV trimeric gB and gH/gL heterodimers, and immunization with a combination of trimeric gB and gH/gL heterodimers elicited strong synergistic HCMV-neutralizing activity. To further improve the immunogenicity of gH/gL, we produced trimeric gH/gL. Rabbits immunized with HCMV trimeric gH/gL induced up to 38-fold higher serum titers of gH/gL-specific IgG relative to HCMV monomeric gH/gL, and elicited ~10-fold higher titers of complement-dependent and complement-independent HCMV-neutralizing activity for both epithelial cells and fibroblasts. HCMV trimeric gH/gL in combination with HCMV trimeric gB would be a novel promising HCMV vaccine candidate that could induce highly potent neutralizing activities.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kei Miyakawa ◽  
Sousuke Kubo ◽  
Sundararaj Stanleyraj Jeremiah ◽  
Hirofumi Go ◽  
Yutaro Yamaoka ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits varying degrees of protective immunity conferred by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). Here we report the persistence of nAb responses over 12 months after infection despite its decreasing trend noticed from 6 months. The study included sera from 358 individuals who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 between January and May 2020. Samples were collected at 6 and 12 months after onset. The titers of IgG to the viral nucleocapsid protein (NP) and receptor-binding domain of the spike protein (RBD) were measured by CLEIA. The nAb titer was determined using lentivirus-based pseudovirus or authentic virus. Antibody titers of NP-IgG, RBD-IgG, and nAbs were higher in severe and moderate cases than in mild cases at 12 months after onset. While the nAb levels were likely to confer adequate protection against wild-type viral infection, the neutralization activity to recently circulating variants in some of the mild cases (~30%) was undermined, implying the susceptibility of reinfection to the variants of concerns (VOCs). COVID-19 convalescent individuals have robust humoral immunity even at 12 months after infection albeit that the medical history and background of patients could affect the function and dynamics of antibody response to the VOCs.


Author(s):  
Jérémie Prévost ◽  
Romain Gasser ◽  
Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussières ◽  
Jonathan Richard ◽  
Ralf Duerr ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for the current worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, infecting millions of people and causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. The Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 mediates viral entry and is the main target for neutralizing antibodies. Understanding the antibody response directed against SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for the development of vaccine, therapeutic and public health interventions. Here we performed a cross-sectional study on 106 SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals to evaluate humoral responses against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike. The vast majority of infected individuals elicited anti-Spike antibodies within 2 weeks after the onset of symptoms. The levels of receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific IgG persisted overtime, while the levels of anti-RBD IgM decreased after symptoms resolution. Some of the elicited antibodies cross-reacted with other human coronaviruses in a genus-restrictive manner. While most of individuals developed neutralizing antibodies within the first two weeks of infection, the level of neutralizing activity was significantly decreased over time. Our results highlight the importance of studying the persistence of neutralizing activity upon natural SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Author(s):  
Yafei Liu ◽  
Noriko Arase ◽  
Jun-ichi Kishikawa ◽  
Mika Hirose ◽  
Songling Li ◽  
...  

AbstractmRNA-based vaccines provide effective protection against most common SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, identifying likely breakthrough variants is critical for future vaccine development. Here, we found that the Delta variant completely escaped from anti-N-terminal domain (NTD) neutralizing antibodies, while increasing responsiveness to anti-NTD infectivity-enhancing antibodies. Although Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2-immune sera neutralized the Delta variant, when four common mutations were introduced into the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Delta variant (Delta 4+), some BNT162b2-immune sera lost neutralizing activity and enhanced the infectivity. Unique mutations in the Delta NTD were involved in the enhanced infectivity by the BNT162b2-immune sera. Sera of mice immunized by Delta spike, but not wild-type spike, consistently neutralized the Delta 4+ variant without enhancing infectivity. Given the fact that a Delta variant with three similar RBD mutations has already emerged according to the GISAID database, it is necessary to develop vaccines that protect against such complete breakthrough variants.


Author(s):  
Kei Miyakawa ◽  
Sousuke Kubo ◽  
Sundararaj Stanleyraj Jeremiah ◽  
Hirofumi Go ◽  
Yutaro Yamaoka ◽  
...  

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits varying degrees of protective immunity conferred by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). Here, we report the persistence of nAb responses over 12 months after infection despite their decreasing trend noticed from 6 months. Methods The study included sera from 497 individuals who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 between January and August 2020. Samples were collected at 6 and 12 months after onset. The titers of IgG to the viral nucleocapsid protein (NP) and receptor-binding domain of the spike protein (RBD) were measured by CLEIA. The nAb titer was determined using lentivirus-based pseudovirus or authentic virus. Results Antibody titers of NP-IgG, RBD-IgG, and nAbs were higher in severe and moderate cases than in mild cases at 12 months after onset. While the nAb levels were likely to confer adequate protection against wild-type viral infection, the neutralization activity to recently circulating variants in some of the mild cases (~30%) was undermined, implying the susceptibility to reinfection with the variants of concerns (VOCs). Conclusions COVID-19 convalescent individuals have robust humoral immunity even at 12 months after infection albeit that the medical history and background of patients could affect the function and dynamics of antibody response to the VOCs.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 700
Author(s):  
Franziska Neumann ◽  
Ruben Rose ◽  
Janine Römpke ◽  
Olaf Grobe ◽  
Thomas Lorentz ◽  
...  

The humoral immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination was examined. Convalescent sera after infection with variants of concern (VOCs: B.1.1.7, n = 10; B.1.351, n = 1) and sera from 100 vaccinees (Pfizer/BioNTech, BNT162b2, n = 33; Moderna, mRNA-1273, n = 11; AstraZeneca, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222, n = 56) were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) directed against the viral spike (S)-protein, its receptor-binding domain (RBD), the nucleoprotein (N) and for virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNA). For the latter, surrogate assays (sVNT) and a Vero-cell based neutralization test (cVNT) were used. Maturity of IgG was determined by measuring the avidity in an immunoblot (IB). Past VOC infection resulted in a broad reactivity of anti-S IgG (100%), anti-RBD IgG (100%), and anti-N IgG (91%), while latter were absent in 99% of vaccinees. Starting approximately two weeks after the first vaccine dose, anti-S IgG (75–100%) and particularly anti-RBD IgG (98–100%) were detectable. After the second dose, their titers increased and were higher than in the convalescents. The sVNT showed evidence of VNA in 91% of convalescents and in 80–100%/100% after first/second vaccine dose, respectively. After the second dose, an increase in VNA titer and IgGs of high avidity were demonstrated by cVNT and IB, respectively. Re-vaccination contributes to a more robust immune response.


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