The quality and persistence of children’s humoral immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection remains largely unknown but will be crucial to guide pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programs. Here, we examine 548 children and 717 adults within 328 households with at least one member with a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assess serological response at 3–4 months and 11–12 months after infection using a bead-based multiplex immunoassay for 23 human coronavirus antigens including SARS-CoV-2 and its Variants of Concern (VOC) and endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs), and additionally by three commercial SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays. Neutralization against wild type SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta VOC are analysed in a pseudotyped virus assay. Children, compared to adults, are five times more likely to be asymptomatic, and have higher specific antibody levels which persist longer (96.2% versus 82.9% still seropositive 11–12 months post infection). Of note, symptomatic and asymptomatic infections induce similar humoral responses in all age groups. SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs independent of HCoV serostatus. Neutralization responses of children and adults are similar, although neutralization is reduced for both against the Delta VOC. Overall, the long-term humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in children is of longer duration than in adults even after asymptomatic infection. In this prospective cohort study, authors follow 328 households in Germany with at least one confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and find that children are more likely to seroconvert without symptoms and have higher specific antibody levels that persist longer than in adults.
【저자키워드】 viral infection, Immunological memory, Paediatric research, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, antibody, VoC, neutralization, SARS-COV-2 infection, pediatric, children, Infection, prospective cohort study, Antigen, Human coronavirus, asymptomatic infections, Adults, Humoral response, SARS-CoV-2 antibody, Asymptomatic, Pseudotyped virus, Germany, persistence, response, HCoV, asymptomatic infection, humoral immune response, concern, serostatus, wild type, seropositive, Delta VOC, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, Antibody assays, serological response, independent of, all age groups, laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, seroconvert, HCoVs, post infection, bead-based multiplex immunoassay, endemic human coronaviruses, FIVE, independent, assays, analysed, reduced, occur, induce, endemic human coronavirus, symptomatic and asymptomatic, without symptom, 【제목키워드】 pediatric,