tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2022 Nov 11;9(11)
fac613.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac613. eCollection 2022 Nov.
Persistence of Neutralizing Antibodies and Clinical Protection up to 12 Months After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in the Elderly
Rocco Collarino[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Christelle Vauloup-Fellous[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Aude Allemang-Trivalle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lina Mouna[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Edouard-Pierre Baudouin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Héloise Keravec[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marie Neiss[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Souhila Bouchareb[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cherif Bessai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jorge Sanchez-Tamayo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tom Pujol[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zeynab Trikha[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nicoletta Brunetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Magali Sitbon-Guichardon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anne Marie Roque-Afonso[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christophe Trivalle[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has severely affected the elderly, who are expected to display decreased immune responses due to immunosenescence.
Methods: This study retrospectively assesses neutralizing antibody (NAb) production up to 12 months after infection in long-term care patients. We used Roche Diagnostics immunoassay to quantify anti-spike (S) antibodies and a competitive immunoassay from YHLO as a surrogate test for NAb.
Results: We included 91 patients (mean age, 86 years). There was no significant variation in anti-S titers over time. There was a significant decrease of NAb titers between month 3 and month 6 but no further significant change up to month 12. Overall, 75 of 91 (82%) and 52 of 91 (57%) patients had, at least once, anti-S titers >75 U/mL and NAb titers >50 AU/mL, respectively, corresponding to a significant neutralizing activity in vitro. All 68 patients studied at M12 had detectable anti-S antibodies and 60 (88%) had detectable NAb; 60 of 68 (88%) and 29 of 68 (42.6%) still had anti-S titers >75 U/mL and NAb titers >50 AU/mL. Higher NAb titers were correlated with severe infection, higher levels of C-reactive protein, and lower lymphocyte counts. No patient developed reinfection.
Conclusions: Elderly people can display robust and persistent humoral response after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, with NAb lasting up to 12 months.
Keywords: COVID-19; elderly; neutralizing antibodies; YHLO immunoassay; long-term care.
. 2022 Nov 11;9(11)
fac613.doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac613. eCollection 2022 Nov.
Persistence of Neutralizing Antibodies and Clinical Protection up to 12 Months After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in the Elderly
Rocco Collarino[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Christelle Vauloup-Fellous[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Aude Allemang-Trivalle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lina Mouna[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Edouard-Pierre Baudouin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Héloise Keravec[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marie Neiss[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Souhila Bouchareb[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cherif Bessai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jorge Sanchez-Tamayo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tom Pujol[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zeynab Trikha[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nicoletta Brunetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Magali Sitbon-Guichardon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anne Marie Roque-Afonso[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christophe Trivalle[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36467299
- PMCID: PMC9709707
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac613
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has severely affected the elderly, who are expected to display decreased immune responses due to immunosenescence.
Methods: This study retrospectively assesses neutralizing antibody (NAb) production up to 12 months after infection in long-term care patients. We used Roche Diagnostics immunoassay to quantify anti-spike (S) antibodies and a competitive immunoassay from YHLO as a surrogate test for NAb.
Results: We included 91 patients (mean age, 86 years). There was no significant variation in anti-S titers over time. There was a significant decrease of NAb titers between month 3 and month 6 but no further significant change up to month 12. Overall, 75 of 91 (82%) and 52 of 91 (57%) patients had, at least once, anti-S titers >75 U/mL and NAb titers >50 AU/mL, respectively, corresponding to a significant neutralizing activity in vitro. All 68 patients studied at M12 had detectable anti-S antibodies and 60 (88%) had detectable NAb; 60 of 68 (88%) and 29 of 68 (42.6%) still had anti-S titers >75 U/mL and NAb titers >50 AU/mL. Higher NAb titers were correlated with severe infection, higher levels of C-reactive protein, and lower lymphocyte counts. No patient developed reinfection.
Conclusions: Elderly people can display robust and persistent humoral response after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, with NAb lasting up to 12 months.
Keywords: COVID-19; elderly; neutralizing antibodies; YHLO immunoassay; long-term care.