Distinguishing SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine responses up to 18 months post-infection using nucleocapsid protein and receptor-binding domain antibodies

ABSTRACT The prediction of the durability of immunity against COVID-19 is relevant, and longitudinal studies are essential for unraveling the details regarding protective SARS‐CoV‐2 antibody responses. It has become challenging to discriminate between COVID-19 vaccine- and infection-induced immune responses since all approved vaccines in Europe and the USA are based on the viral spike (S) protein, which is also the most commonly used antigen in immunoassays measuring immunoglobulins (Igs) against SARS-CoV-2. We have developed a nucleocapsid (N) protein-based sandwich ELISA for detecting pan anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig with a sensitivity and specificity of 97%. Generalized mixed models were used to determine the degree of long‐term humoral immunity against the N protein and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S protein in a cohort of infected individuals to distinguish between COVID-19 vaccine- and infection-induced immunity. N-specific waning could be observed in individuals who did not experience reinfection, while individuals who experienced reinfection had a new significant increase in N-specific Ig levels. In individuals that seroconverted without a reinfection, 70.1% remained anti-N seropositive after 550 days. The anti-RBD Ig dynamics were unaffected by reinfection but exhibited a clear increase in RBD-specific Ig when vaccination was initiated. In conclusion, a clear difference in the dynamics of the antibody response against N protein and RBD was observed over time. Anti-N protein-specific Igs can be detected up to 18 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection allowing long-term discrimination of infectious and vaccine antibody responses. IMPORTANCE Longitudinal studies are essential to unravel details regarding the protective antibody responses after COVID-19 infection and vaccination. It has become challenging to distinguish long-term immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination since most approved vaccines are based on the viral spike (S) protein, which is also mostly used in immunoassays measuring immunoglobulins (Igs) against SARS-CoV-2. We have developed a novel nucleocapsid (N) protein-based sandwich ELISA for detecting pan-anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig, exhibiting high sensitivity and specificity. Generalized mixed models were used to determine long‐term humoral immunity in a cohort of infected individuals from the Faroe Islands, distinguishing between COVID-19 vaccine- and infection-induced immunity. A clear difference in the dynamics of the antibody response against N protein and S protein was observed over time, and the anti-N protein-specific Igs could be detected up to 18 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. This enables long-term discrimination between natural infection and vaccine-dependent antibody responses.