SARS-CoV-2 infection induces sustained humoral immune responses in convalescent patients following symptomatic COVID-19

Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 22;12(1):1813. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22034-1.

Abstract

Long-term antibody responses and neutralizing activities in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection are not yet clear. Here we quantify immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG) antibodies recognizing the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) or the nucleocapsid (N) protein, and neutralizing antibodies during a period of 6 months from COVID-19 disease onset in 349 symptomatic COVID-19 patients who were among the first be infected world-wide. The positivity rate and magnitude of IgM-S and IgG-N responses increase rapidly. High levels of IgM-S/N and IgG-S/N at 2-3 weeks after disease onset are associated with virus control and IgG-S titers correlate closely with the capacity to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. Although specific IgM-S/N become undetectable 12 weeks after disease onset in most patients, IgG-S/N titers have an intermediate contraction phase, but stabilize at relatively high levels over the 6 month observation period. At late time points, the positivity rates for binding and neutralizing SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies are still >70%. These data indicate sustained humoral immunity in recovered patients who had symptomatic COVID-19, suggesting prolonged immunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Humoral / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2