Dynamic Characteristic Analysis of Antibodies in Patients With COVID-19: A 13-Month Study

• Published in: Frontiers in immunology Vol. 12; p. 708184
• Main Authors: Shi, Danrong, Weng, Tianhao, Wu, Jie, Dai, Chunyan, Luo, Rui, Chen, Keda, Zhu, Miaojin, Lu, Xiangyun, Cheng, Linfang, Chen, Qiuqiang, Liu, Fumin, Wu, Zhigang, Wu, Haibo, Jin, Changzhong, Guo, Miao, Chen, Zhe, Wu, Nanping, Yao, Hangping, Zheng, Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A 20-07-2021
• Subjects: Immunology; immunoreaction; neutralizing antibodies; nucleocapsid protein; receptor binding domain; SARS-CoV-2; spike glycoprotein
• ISSN: 1664-3224; 1664-3224
• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.708184

There is a worldwide pandemic of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; yet our understanding remains limited on the characteristic of antibodies, especially for dynamic long-term tracking. Sequential serum samples were collected up to 416 days post onset of symptoms (POS) from 102 patients who were hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgM, and IgA levels targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike 1 receptor-binding domain (S1-RBD), spike 2 extracellular domain (S2-ECD), and nucleocapsid protein (N) were quantified as well as neutralizing activity. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the antibody remained detective and effective for more than a year POS. We also found the varied reactions of different antibodies as time passed: N-IgA rose most rapidly in the early stage of infection, while S2-IgG was present at a high level in the long time of observation. This study described the long traceable antibody response of the COVID-19 and offered hints about targets to screen for postinfectious immunity and for vaccination development of SARS-CoV-2.