tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Wellcome Open Res
. 2024 Dec 2:8:350.
doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19414.2. eCollection 2023. Kinetics of naturally induced binding and neutralising anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and potencies among SARS-CoV-2 infected Kenyans with diverse grades of COVID-19 severity: an observational study
John Kimotho[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Yiakon Sein[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shahin Sayed[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Reena Shah[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kennedy Mwai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mansoor Saleh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Perpetual Wanjiku[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jedidah Mwacharo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], James Nyagwange[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Henry Karanja[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bernadette Kutima[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John N Gitonga[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Daisy Mugo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ann Karanu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Linda Moranga[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Viviane Oluoch[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jasmit Shah[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Julius Mutiso[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Alfred Mburu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Zaitun Nneka[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Peter Betti[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Wanzila Usyu Mutinda[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Abdirahman Issak Abdi[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Philip Bejon[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Lynette Isabella Ochola-Oyier[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], George M Warimwe[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Eunice W Nduati[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Francis M Ndungu[SUP] 1 2 3 4 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Given the low levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), despite high levels of natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposures, strategies for extending the breadth and longevity of naturally acquired immunity are warranted. Designing such strategies will require a good understanding of naturally acquired immunity.
Methods: We measured whole-spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) and spike-receptor binding domain (RBD) total immunoglobulins (Igs) on 585 plasma samples collected longitudinally over five successive time points within six months of COVID-19 diagnosis in 309 COVID-19 patients. We measured antibody-neutralising potency against the wild-type (Wuhan) SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in a subset of 51 patients over three successive time points. Binding and neutralising antibody levels and potencies were then tested for correlations with COVID-19 severities.
Results: Rates of seroconversion increased from day 0 (day of PCR testing) to day 180 (six months) (63.6% to 100 %) and (69.3 % to 97%) for anti-spike-IgG and anti-spike-RBD binding Igs, respectively. Levels of these binding antibodies peaked at day 28 (p<0.01) and were subsequently maintained for six months without significant decay (p>0.99). Similarly, antibody-neutralising potencies peaked at day 28 (p<0.01) but declined by three-fold, six months after COVID-19 diagnosis (p<0.01). Binding antibody levels were highly correlated with neutralising antibody potencies at all the time points analysed (r>0.60, p<0.01). Levels and potencies of binding and neutralising antibodies increased with disease severity.
Conclusions: Most COVID-19 patients generated SARS-CoV-2 specific binding antibodies that remained stable in the first six months of infection. However, the respective neutralising antibodies decayed three-fold by month-six of COVID-19 diagnosis suggesting that they are short-lived, consistent with what has been observed elsewhere in the world. Thus, regular vaccination boosters are required to sustain the high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 naturally acquired neutralising antibody potencies in our population.
Keywords: COVID-19; Kenya; SARS-CoV-2; binding-antibodies; kinetics; natural infection; neutralizing antibodies; sub-Saharan Africa.
. 2024 Dec 2:8:350.
doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19414.2. eCollection 2023. Kinetics of naturally induced binding and neutralising anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and potencies among SARS-CoV-2 infected Kenyans with diverse grades of COVID-19 severity: an observational study
John Kimotho[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Yiakon Sein[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shahin Sayed[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Reena Shah[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kennedy Mwai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mansoor Saleh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Perpetual Wanjiku[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jedidah Mwacharo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], James Nyagwange[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Henry Karanja[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bernadette Kutima[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John N Gitonga[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Daisy Mugo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ann Karanu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Linda Moranga[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Viviane Oluoch[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jasmit Shah[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Julius Mutiso[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Alfred Mburu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Zaitun Nneka[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Peter Betti[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Wanzila Usyu Mutinda[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Abdirahman Issak Abdi[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Philip Bejon[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Lynette Isabella Ochola-Oyier[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], George M Warimwe[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Eunice W Nduati[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Francis M Ndungu[SUP] 1 2 3 4 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39640868
- PMCID: PMC11617823
- DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19414.2
Background: Given the low levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), despite high levels of natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposures, strategies for extending the breadth and longevity of naturally acquired immunity are warranted. Designing such strategies will require a good understanding of naturally acquired immunity.
Methods: We measured whole-spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) and spike-receptor binding domain (RBD) total immunoglobulins (Igs) on 585 plasma samples collected longitudinally over five successive time points within six months of COVID-19 diagnosis in 309 COVID-19 patients. We measured antibody-neutralising potency against the wild-type (Wuhan) SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in a subset of 51 patients over three successive time points. Binding and neutralising antibody levels and potencies were then tested for correlations with COVID-19 severities.
Results: Rates of seroconversion increased from day 0 (day of PCR testing) to day 180 (six months) (63.6% to 100 %) and (69.3 % to 97%) for anti-spike-IgG and anti-spike-RBD binding Igs, respectively. Levels of these binding antibodies peaked at day 28 (p<0.01) and were subsequently maintained for six months without significant decay (p>0.99). Similarly, antibody-neutralising potencies peaked at day 28 (p<0.01) but declined by three-fold, six months after COVID-19 diagnosis (p<0.01). Binding antibody levels were highly correlated with neutralising antibody potencies at all the time points analysed (r>0.60, p<0.01). Levels and potencies of binding and neutralising antibodies increased with disease severity.
Conclusions: Most COVID-19 patients generated SARS-CoV-2 specific binding antibodies that remained stable in the first six months of infection. However, the respective neutralising antibodies decayed three-fold by month-six of COVID-19 diagnosis suggesting that they are short-lived, consistent with what has been observed elsewhere in the world. Thus, regular vaccination boosters are required to sustain the high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 naturally acquired neutralising antibody potencies in our population.
Keywords: COVID-19; Kenya; SARS-CoV-2; binding-antibodies; kinetics; natural infection; neutralizing antibodies; sub-Saharan Africa.