Characterization of antibody response in asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 2;16(7):e0253977. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253977. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is causing high morbidity and mortality burden worldwide with unprecedented strain on health care systems. To investigate the time course of the antibody response in relation to the outcome we performed a study in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. As comparison we also investigated the time course of the antibody response in SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic subjects. Study results show that patients produce a strong antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 with high correlation between different viral antigens (spike protein and nucleoprotein) and among antibody classes (IgA, IgG, and IgM and neutralizing antibodies). The antibody peak is reached by 3 weeks from hospital admission followed by a sharp decrease. No difference was observed in any parameter of the antibody classes, including neutralizing antibodies, between subjects who recovered or with fatal outcome. Only few asymptomatic subjects developed antibodies at detectable levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / biosynthesis*
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis*
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Asymptomatic Infections*
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • COVID-19 / mortality
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Immunoglobulin A / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / immunology
  • Length of Stay
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Admission
  • Retrospective Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M

Grants and funding

This study was funded by a research grant (Pfizer Tracking Number 60353289). The Principal Investigator (Grant Recipient) is CMT. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Author AM was employed by VisMederi Research srl. Authors AM and GL are employed by VisMederi srl. EM is the Chief Scientific Officer of VisMederi srl and VisMederi Research srl. VisMederi srl and VisMederi Research srl provided support in the form of salaries for authors AM, and GL, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.