Approximately half of the SARS-CoV-2 infections occur without apparent symptoms, raising questions regarding long-term humoral immunity in asymptomatic individuals. Plasma levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM) against the viral spike or nucleoprotein were determined for 25,091 individuals enrolled in a surveillance program in Wuhan, China. We compared 405 asymptomatic individuals who mounted a detectable antibody response with 459 symptomatic COVID-19 patients. The well-defined duration of the SARS-CoV-2 endemic in Wuhan allowed a side-by-side comparison of antibody responses following symptomatic and asymptomatic infections without subsequent antigen re-exposure. IgM responses rapidly declined in both groups. However, both the prevalence and durability of IgG responses and neutralizing capacities correlated positively with symptoms. Regardless of sex, age, and body weight, asymptomatic individuals lost their SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies more often and rapidly than symptomatic patients did. These findings have important implications for immunity and favour immunization programs including individuals after asymptomatic infections.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Humoral immunity, Asymptomatic, symptomatic, collective/herd immunity, 【초록키워드】 IgG, IgM, Immunity, antibody, body weight, Antibody Response, Infection, Sex, Symptoms, immunization, Antigen, asymptomatic infections, Prevalence, Antibody responses, Immunoglobulin G, Viral, Symptomatic patients, Asymptomatic individuals, Immunoglobulin, Surveillance, IgG antibodies, Wuhan, age, neutralizing capacity, nucleoprotein, SARS-CoV-2 infections, COVID-19 patients, Endemic, Plasma levels, IgG responses, IgG response, IgM responses, both groups, individual, specific IgG antibodies, SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG, viral spike, side, IgM response, implication, asymptomatic individual, Wuhan, China, enrolled, subsequent, detectable, question, occur, correlated, declined, in both groups, mounted, Plasma level, raising, symptomatic and asymptomatic, symptomatic patient, the SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2,