tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Cell Rep
. 2021 Dec 7;110169.
doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110169. Online ahead of print.
Evidence for increased SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 severity related to pre-existing immunity to seasonal coronaviruses
Paul R Wratil[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Niklas A Schmacke[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Burak Karakoc[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Alex Dulovic[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Daniel Junker[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Matthias Becker[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ulrich Rothbauer[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Andreas Osterman[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Patricia M Spaeth[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Adrian Ruhle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Madeleine Gapp[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephanie Schneider[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maximilian Muenchhoff[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Johannes C Hellmuth[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Clemens Scherer[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Julia Mayerle[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Martin Reincke[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Juergen Behr[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Stefan Kääb[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Bernhard Zwissler[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Josef Eberle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lars Kaderali[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Veit Hornung[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Oliver T Keppler[SUP] 15 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The importance of pre-existing immune responses to seasonal endemic coronaviruses (HCoVs) for the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the course of COVID-19 is the subject of an ongoing scientific debate. Recent studies postulate that immune responses to previous HCoV infections can either have a slightly protective or no effect on SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and, consequently, be neglected for COVID-19 risk stratification. Challenging this notion, we provide evidence that pre-existing, anti-nucleocapsid antibodies against endemic α-coronaviruses and S2 domain-specific anti-spike antibodies against β-coronavirus HCoV-OC43 are elevated in patients with COVID-19 compared to pre-pandemic donors. This finding is particularly pronounced in males and in critically ill patients. Longitudinal evaluation reveals that antibody cross-reactivity or polyclonal stimulation by SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to be confounders. Thus, specific pre-existing immunity to seasonal coronaviruses may increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and predispose individuals to an adverse COVID-19 outcome, guiding risk management and supporting the development of universal coronavirus vaccines.
Keywords: COVID-19; HCoV; SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; common cold; disease severity; humoral immunity; pandemic; seasonal coronaviruses; susceptibility.
. 2021 Dec 7;110169.
doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110169. Online ahead of print.
Evidence for increased SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 severity related to pre-existing immunity to seasonal coronaviruses
Paul R Wratil[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Niklas A Schmacke[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Burak Karakoc[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Alex Dulovic[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Daniel Junker[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Matthias Becker[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ulrich Rothbauer[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Andreas Osterman[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Patricia M Spaeth[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Adrian Ruhle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Madeleine Gapp[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephanie Schneider[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maximilian Muenchhoff[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Johannes C Hellmuth[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Clemens Scherer[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Julia Mayerle[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Martin Reincke[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Juergen Behr[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Stefan Kääb[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Bernhard Zwissler[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Josef Eberle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lars Kaderali[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Veit Hornung[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Oliver T Keppler[SUP] 15 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34932974
- PMCID: PMC8648802
- DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110169
Abstract
The importance of pre-existing immune responses to seasonal endemic coronaviruses (HCoVs) for the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the course of COVID-19 is the subject of an ongoing scientific debate. Recent studies postulate that immune responses to previous HCoV infections can either have a slightly protective or no effect on SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and, consequently, be neglected for COVID-19 risk stratification. Challenging this notion, we provide evidence that pre-existing, anti-nucleocapsid antibodies against endemic α-coronaviruses and S2 domain-specific anti-spike antibodies against β-coronavirus HCoV-OC43 are elevated in patients with COVID-19 compared to pre-pandemic donors. This finding is particularly pronounced in males and in critically ill patients. Longitudinal evaluation reveals that antibody cross-reactivity or polyclonal stimulation by SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to be confounders. Thus, specific pre-existing immunity to seasonal coronaviruses may increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and predispose individuals to an adverse COVID-19 outcome, guiding risk management and supporting the development of universal coronavirus vaccines.
Keywords: COVID-19; HCoV; SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; common cold; disease severity; humoral immunity; pandemic; seasonal coronaviruses; susceptibility.
