Cited by 84SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testingCOVID-19 Clinical Research Studies

Discrete SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers track with functional humoral stability

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Bartsch, Yannic C., Fischinger, Stephanie, Siddiqui, Sameed M., Chen, Zhilin, Yu, Jingyou, Gebre, Makda, Atyeo, Caroline, Gorman, Matthew J. +22 more·2021·Nature Communications

Abstract

Antibodies serve as biomarkers of infection, but if sustained can confer long-term immunity. Yet, for most clinically approved vaccines, binding antibody titers only serve as a surrogate of protection. Instead, the ability of vaccine induced antibodies to neutralize or mediate Fc-effector functions is mechanistically linked to protection. While evidence has begun to point to persisting antibody responses among SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, cases of re-infection have begun to emerge, calling the protective nature of humoral immunity against this highly infectious pathogen into question. Using a community-based surveillance study, we aimed to define the relationship between titers and functional antibody activity to SARS-CoV-2 over time. Here we report significant heterogeneity, but limited decay, across antibody titers amongst 120 identified seroconverters, most of whom had asymptomatic infection. Notably, neutralization, Fc-function, and SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses were only observed in subjects that elicited RBD-specific antibody titers above a threshold. The findings point to a switch-like relationship between observed antibody titer and function, where a distinct threshold of activity—defined by the level of antibodies—is required to elicit vigorous humoral and cellular response. This response activity level may be essential for durable protection, potentially explaining why re-infections occur with SARS-CoV-2 and other common coronaviruses.

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Authors
Bartsch, Y. C., Fischinger, S., Siddiqui, S. M., Chen, Z., Yu, J., Gebre, M., Atyeo, C., Gorman, M. J., Zhu, A. L., Kang, J., Burke, J. S., Slein, M., Gluck, M. J., Beger, S., Hu, Y., Rhee, J., Petersen, E., Mormann, B., Aubin, M. D. S., Hasdianda, M. A., Jambaulikar, G., Boyer, E. W., Sabeti, P. C., Barouch, D. H., Julg, B. D., Musk, E. R., Menon, A. S., Lauffenburger, D. A., Nilles, E. J., & Alter, G.
Affiliations
  • Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard (US)
  • Broad Institute (US)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
  • SpaceX (United States) (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
  • Menon, Anil S.
  • Lauffenburger, Douglas A.
  • Nilles, Eric J.
  • Alter, Galit
Venue
Nature Communications
Published
2021-02-15
Volume
12
Issue
1
Pages
1018-1018
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3131892506
Cited by
82
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 29
FWCI
5.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • ImmPort
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | U.S. Food and Drug Administration (HHSF223201810172C)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX16AO69A)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19 AI135995, U19AI42790)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (R01AI146785, U19AI135995, U19AI42790, 1U01CA260476, CIVIC75N93019C00052)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, antibody titers, humoral immunity, neutralizing antibodies, Fc effector functions, seroconversion, asymptomatic infection, T cell response, reinfection, long-term immunity, antibody waning, COVID-19 pandemic
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Antibodies, Viral, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Male, Middle Aged, T-Lymphocytes, Viral Vaccines, Young Adult, Immunity, Humoral, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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