Early antibody responses associated with survival in COVID19 patients

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Jul 19;17(7):e1009766. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009766. eCollection 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Neutralizing antibodies to the SARS CoV-2 spike proteins have been issued Emergency Use Authorizations and are a likely mechanism of vaccines to prevent COVID-19. However, benefit of treatment with monoclonal antibodies has only been observed in clinical trials in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 but not in patients who are hospitalized and/or have advanced disease. To address this observation, we evaluated the timing of anti SARS-CoV-2 antibody production in hospitalized patients with the use of a highly sensitive multiplexed bead-based immunoassay allowing for early detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. We found significantly lower levels of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the first week after symptom onset in patients who expired as compared to patients who were discharged. We also developed a model to characterize the relationship between each patient's individual antibody level trajectory and eventual COVID 19 outcome which can be adapted into a prediction model with more data.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • COVID-19 / mortality*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Immunological
  • Pandemics
  • Prognosis
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / immunology
  • Time Factors
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

This study was funded with FDA MCM resources. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.