Abstract
Introduction: The longevity of antibody levels against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the duration of immunity are current topics of major scientific interest. Antibody kinetics during the acute phase are well studied, whereas the long-term kinetics are yet to be determined, with contradictory results from the studies to date. Here, we present a longitudinal analysis of the serological responses to a SARS-CoV-2 infection following convalescence and the association with post-COVID syndrome (PCS).
Materials and methods: A total of 237 serum samples were prospectively collected from 61 participants who had had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, which was confirmed using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). For each participant, anti-nucleocapsid (N) and anti-spike subunit 1 receptor binding domain (RBD/S1) immunoglobulin (Ig) levels were regularly determined over a period of 8 months. COVID-19-associated symptoms were assessed using a standardized questionnaire at study entry and again after 6 months.
Results: Antibodies were detectable in 56 of the 61 participants. No substantial decline in anti-SARS-CoV-2 pan-Ig levels was observed for the duration of the follow-up period. Antibody levels correlated positively with the disease severity, body mass index, fever, and smoking status. It was found that 46.8% of the participants suffered from PCS, with olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions being the most commonly reported symptoms.
Conclusion: The results demonstrate stable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers and thus may indicate a long-lasting immunity. The results are in line with recently published data and provide further insight concerning asymptomatic to mildly-affected patients, the association with clinical features, and the frequency of PCS.
Keywords: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; Antibody dynamics; Antibody kinetics; Longitudinal assessment; Post-COVID syndrome; Serological immune response.
【저자키워드】 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, antibody kinetics, post-COVID syndrome, Antibody dynamics, Longitudinal assessment, Serological immune response., 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, immune response, Immunity, antibody, SARS-COV-2 infection, severity, disease severity, qRT-PCR, Symptom, smoking, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, anti-SARS-CoV-2, Clinical features, Receptor binding domain, polymerase chain reaction, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, body mass index, Asymptomatic, Immunoglobulin, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, antibody kinetics, Fever, convalescence, antibody levels, respiratory, Longevity, smoking status, longitudinal, Quantitative, questionnaire, patients, Antibody titers, Anti-spike, antibody level, serological response, Longitudinal assessment, association, longitudinal analysis, Frequency, olfactory, Chain Reaction, body mass, dysfunction, Gustatory, acute respiratory syndrome, Participants, follow-up period, subunit, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, serum samples, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, acute phase, syndrome, participant, material, serum sample, reported symptoms, polymerase chain, collected, detectable, the disease, long-lasting, correlated, suffered, concerning, were assessed, 【제목키워드】 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, COVID-19 infection, longitudinal, clinical feature,