Persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in COVID-19 patients

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2020.107271Get rights and content

Highlights

  • SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies were suitable for epidemiologic assessments.

  • IgM was a predominant predictor for the clinical severity of COVID-19 patients.

Abstract

To better understand humoral immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection, 114 hospitalised COVID-19 patients with antibody monitored over 8 weeks from symptom onset were retrospectively investigated. A total of 445 serum samples were assessed via chemiluminescence immunoassay. Positive rate of virus-specific IgM reached up to over 80% from the second week to the eighth week after symptom onset, then declined quickly to below 30% in the twelfth week. Concentrations of IgG remained high for at least 3 months before subsequently declining. As compared with the non-severe group, serum IgM level from week 3 to week 8 was significantly higher among the patients with severe clinical symptoms (P = 0.012) but not IgG (P = 0.053). Serum IgM level from week 3 to week 8 was correlated with positive virus RNA test (r = 0.201, P = 0.044), albumin level (r = −0.295, P = 0.003), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) level (r = 0.292, P = 0.003), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level (r = 0.254, P = 0.010), C-reactive protein (CRP) level (r = 0.281, P = 0.004) during the same course, while serum IgG level was correlated with age (r = 0.207, P = 0.038). This presented results provide insight into duration of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and interaction between the virus and host systems.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Immunoglobulin M
Immunoglobulin G
Illness severity
Humoral immunity

Abbreviations

ALP
Alkaline phosphatase
ALT
Alanine transaminase
AST
Aspartate aminotransferase
AUC
area under the ROC curve
BUN
Blood urea nitrogen
CHD
Coronary heart disease
CKD
Chronic kidney disease
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
COVID-19
coronavirus disease 2019
CRP
C-reactive protein
ESR
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
hs-cTnI
High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I
IgM
Immunoglobulin M
IgG
Immunoglobulin G
IL6
Interleukin 6
IQR
interquartile range
LDH
Lactic dehydrogenase
PT
Prothrombin time
NT-proBNP
N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide
SARS-CoV-2
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

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1

These three authors contributed equally to this work.

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