SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen-specific B cell and antibody responses in convalescent males and females with or without post-covid condition, 2023, Limoges+

[SNT Gatchaman]

SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen-specific B cell and antibody responses in pre-vaccination period COVID-19 convalescent males and females with or without post-covid condition
Limoges, Marc-André; Quenum, Akouavi Julite Irmine; Chowdhury, Mohammad Mobarak Hussain; Rexhepi, Fjolla; Namvarpour, Mozhdeh; Akbari, Sara Ali; Rioux-Perreault, Christine; Nandi, Madhuparna; Lucier, Jean-François; Lemaire-Paquette, Samuel; Premkumar, Lakshmanane; Durocher, Yves; Cantin, André; Lévesque, Simon; Dionne, Isabelle J.; Menendez, Alfredo; Ilangumaran, Subburaj; Allard-Chamard, Hugues; Piché, Alain; Ramanathan, Sheela

Background: Following SARS-CoV-2 infection a significant proportion of convalescent individuals develop the post-COVID condition (PCC) that is characterized by wide spectrum of symptoms encompassing various organs. Even though the underlying pathophysiology of PCC is not known, detection of viral transcripts and antigens in tissues other than lungs raise the possibility that PCC may be a consequence of aberrant immune response to the viral antigens. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated B cell and antibody responses to the SARSCoV-2 antigens in PCC patients who experienced mild COVID-19 disease during the pre-vaccination period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The study subjects included unvaccinated male and female subjects who developed PCC or not (No-PCC) after clearing RT-PCR confirmed mild COVID-19 infection. SARS-CoV-2 D614G and omicron RBD specific B cell subsets in peripheral circulation were assessed by flow cytometry. IgG, IgG3 and IgA antibody titers toward RBD, spike and nucleocapsid antigens in the plasma were evaluated by ELISA.

Results: The frequency of the B cells specific to D614G-RBD were comparable in convalescent groups with and without PCC in both males and females. Notably, in females with PCC, the anti-D614G RBD specific double negative (IgD- CD27- ) B cells showed significant correlation with the number of symptoms at acute of infection. Anti-spike antibody responses were also higher at 3 months postinfection in females who developed PCC, but not in the male PCC group. On the other hand, the male PCC group also showed consistently high anti-RBD IgG responses compared to all other groups.

Conclusions: The antibody responses to the spike protein, but not the anti-RBD B cell responses diverge between convalescent males and females who develop PCC. Our findings also suggest that sex-related factors may also be involved in the development of PCC via modulating antibody responses to the SARS-CoV-2 antigens.

Link | PDF (Frontiers in Immunology)

 

[Hutan]

Results: The frequency of the B cells specific to D614G-RBD were comparable in convalescent groups with and without PCC in both males and females. Notably, in females with PCC, the anti-D614G RBD specific double negative (IgD- CD27- ) B cells showed significant correlation with the number of symptoms at acute of infection. Anti-spike antibody responses were also higher at 3 months postinfection in females who developed PCC, but not in the male PCC group. On the other hand, the male PCC group also showed consistently high anti-RBD IgG responses compared to all other groups.

That abstract doesn't look very convincing. No mention of how many participants, no figures. They measured a whole lot of stuff, didn't seem to find much, had to fish around in subsets and, correlations between things and 'the number of symptoms during the acute infection', still in a subset.

D614G is the Delta variant.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

One aspect I thought was good was in the methods, detailing the Quebec biobank. The started banking early and usefully.

The Biobanque Quebecoise de la COVID-19 (BQC19) is a provincial healthcare initiative undertaken in Quebec, Canada, which collects biological specimens (blood cells and plasma) from individuals with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and the associated anthropometric and clinical data. Enrolment of adult (>18 years old) participants with different disease severity has been ongoing since 26 March 2020, in several centers throughout the Quebec province. Eligible participants for this study were recruited in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, between March 2020 and October 2021 and were infected before October 2021. Participants were seen at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and blood samples were obtained during each visit.