Indexed by: Journal paper

First Author: Qing Lei, Yang Li, Hong-yan Hou

Correspondence Author: Zi-yong Sun，Sheng-ce Tao，Xiong-lin Fan

Co-author: Feng Wang, Zhu-qing Ouyang, Yandi Zhang, Dan-yun Lai, Jo-Lewis Banga Ndzouboukou, Zhao-wei Xu, Bo Zhang, Hong Chen, Jun-biao Xue, Xiao-song Lin, Yun-xiao Zheng, Zong-jie Yao, Xue-ning Wang, Cai-zheng Yu, He-wei Jiang, Hai-nan Zhang, Huan Qi, Shu-juan Guo, Sheng-hai Huang

Journal: Allergy

Affiliation of Author(s): 华中科技大学

Discipline: Medicine

First-Level Discipline: Basic Medicine

Document Type: J

Volume: 76

Issue: 2

Page Number: 551-561

ISSN No.: 1398-9995

Key Words: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibody dynamics; asymptomatic; neutralizing antibody

DOI number: 10.1111/all.14622

Date of Publication: 2020-10-26

Impact Factor: 13.146

Teaching and Research Group: 华中科技大学基础医学院病原生物学系医学微生物学

Abstract: Background: The missing asymptomatic COVID-19 infections have been overlooked because of the imperfect sensitivity of the nucleic acid testing (NAT). Globally understanding the humoral immunity in asymptomatic carriers will provide scientific knowledge for developing serological tests, improving early identification, and implementing more rational control strategies against the pandemic. Measure: Utilizing both NAT and commercial kits for serum IgM and IgG antibodies, we extensively screened 11 766 epidemiologically suspected individuals on enrollment and 63 asymptomatic individuals were detected and recruited. Sixty-three healthy individuals and 51 mild patients without any preexisting conditions were set as controls. Serum IgM and IgG profiles were further probed using a SARS-CoV-2 proteome microarray, and neutralizing antibody was detected by a pseudotyped virus neutralization assay system. The dynamics of antibodies were analyzed with exposure time or symptoms onset. Results: A combination test of NAT and serological testing for IgM antibody discovered 55.5% of the total of 63 asymptomatic infections, which significantly raises the detection sensitivity when compared with the NAT alone (19%). Serum proteome microarray analysis demonstrated that asymptomatics mainly produced IgM and IgG antibodies against S1 and N proteins out of 20 proteins of SARS-CoV-2. Different from strong and persistent N-specific antibodies, S1-specific IgM responses, which evolved in asymptomatic individuals as early as the seventh day after exposure, peaked on days from 17 days to 25 days, and then disappeared in two months, might be used as an early diagnostic biomarker. 11.8% (6/51) mild patients and 38.1% (24/63) asymptomatic individuals did not produce neutralizing antibody. In particular, neutralizing antibody in asymptomatics gradually vanished in two months. Conclusion: Our findings might have important implications for the definition of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections, diagnosis, serological survey, public health, and immunization strategies.

Note: Q.Lei, Y. Li, H. Hou, etal. Antibody dynamics to SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic COVID-19 infections. Allergy. 2021;76:551–561.

Links to published journals: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.14622