Abstract
Objectives: To characterise the antibody response for 12 weeks following second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in hospital workers of a Korean general hospital.
Methods: We measured the level of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) anti-receptor binding domain (anti-RBD) and neutralising antibodies every week in the first 4 weeks, and at weeks 8 and 12 following the second dose of vaccination in 71 hospital workers.
Results: The initial median level of anti-RBD and neutralising antibodies were 3898.0 U/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 2107.5-5478.5) and 97.54 % (IQR, 96.85-97.81), respectively. The levels declined the fastest and the most significantly between weeks 1 and 2 (p < 0.01, both), and continuously decreased thereafter, and were 1163.0 U/mL (683.4-1743.0) and 94.87% (89.24-96.99) at weeks 12. The antibodies levels showed a trend of rapid decrease in the older group over time. The slope of the decrease in the antibodies level was observed for each individual. Within 8 weeks, the anti-RBD antibody levels decreased to less than half of the initial levels in most of the participants (88.7%: 63/71). The SARS-CoV-2 anti-RBD and neutralising antibodies levels showed a strong positive correlation (Spearman’s coefficient = 0.7833).
Conclusions: Considerably high levels of SARS-CoV-2 anti-RBD and neutralising antibodies were produced following the second dose of vaccination. The levels decreased continuously, showing a tendency to decline over time; however, reasonable levels persisted up to weeks 12. Moreover, considering individual variations in antibody response following vaccination, a further inter-individual analysis is needed.
Keywords: Antibody response; BNT162b2; Receptor binding domain; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
【저자키워드】 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Antibody Response, Receptor binding domain, BNT162b2, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, vaccination, antibody, hospital, Variation, neutralising antibody, BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, binding, Korean, Pfizer/BioNTech, Analysis, anti-RBD, interquartile range, acute respiratory syndrome, Older, second dose, positive correlation, participant, binding domain, Spearman, decrease, initial, produced, significantly, median, less, the antibody response, declined, inter-individual, IQR, the antibody, 【제목키워드】 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, second dose, South,