Cited by 1,419SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchCOVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 detection and testing

Longitudinal observation and decline of neutralizing antibody responses in the three months following SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans

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Seow, Jeffrey, Graham, Carl, Merrick, Blair, Acors, Sam, Pickering, Suzanne, Steel, Kathryn J. A., Hemmings, Oliver, O’Byrne, Aoife +34 more·2020·Nature Microbiology

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Abstract

Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in most infected individuals 10-15 d after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. However, due to the recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population, it is not known how long antibody responses will be maintained or whether they will provide protection from reinfection. Using sequential serum samples collected up to 94 d post onset of symptoms (POS) from 65 individuals with real-time quantitative PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, we show seroconversion (immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgA, IgG) in >95% of cases and neutralizing antibody responses when sampled beyond 8 d POS. We show that the kinetics of the neutralizing antibody response is typical of an acute viral infection, with declining neutralizing antibody titres observed after an initial peak, and that the magnitude of this peak is dependent on disease severity. Although some individuals with high peak infective dose (ID 50 > 10,000) maintained neutralizing antibody titres >1,000 at >60 d POS, some with lower peak ID 50 had neutralizing antibody titres approaching baseline within the follow-up period. A similar decline in neutralizing antibody titres was observed in a cohort of 31 seropositive healthcare workers. The present study has important implications when considering widespread serological testing and antibody protection against reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, and may suggest that vaccine boosters are required to provide long-lasting protection.

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  1. [4]Luchsinger LL Serological Analysis of New York City COVID19 Convalescent Plasma Donors medRxiv 2020 10.1101/2020.06.08.20124792 · DOI

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Authors
Seow, J., Graham, C., Merrick, B., Acors, S., Pickering, S., Steel, K. J. A., Hemmings, O., O’Byrne, A., Kouphou, N., Galao, R. P., Betancor, G., Wilson, H. D., Signell, A. W., Winstone, H., Kerridge, C., Huettner, I., Jimenez-Guardeño, J. M., Lista, M. J., Temperton, N., Snell, L. B., Bisnauthsing, K., Moore, A., Green, A., Martinez, L., Stokes, B., Honey, J., Izquierdo-Barras, A., Arbane, G., Patel, A., Tan, M. K. I., O’Connell, L., O’Hara, G., MacMahon, E., Douthwaite, S., Nebbia, G., Batra, R., Martinez-Nunez, R., Shankar-Hari, M., Edgeworth, J. D., Neil, S. J. D., Malim, M. H., & Doores, K. J.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • Guy's Hospital (GB)
  • Medway School of Pharmacy (GB)
  • Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
Corresponding author
Doores, Katie J.
Venue
Nature Microbiology
Published
2020-10-26
Volume
5
Issue
12
Pages
1598-1607
ISSN
2058-5276 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3093667122
Cited by
1,419
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 147 · 2022: 311 · 2021: 615 · 2020: 207
FWCI
41.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga (University of Málaga) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • RCUK | Medical Research Council (MC/PC/15068, MR/N013700/1, MR/R015643/1, MC/PC/15068, MR/R015643/1, MR/S023747/1)
  • Huo Family Foundation
  • Wellcome Trust (WT098049AIA, MR/S023747/1, 106223/Z/14/Z)
  • Huo Family Foundation King’s Together Rapid COVID-19 Call award
  • DH | National Institute for Health Research (CS-2016-16-011)
  • King’s Together Rapid COVID-19 Call award Huo Family Foundation
  • Fondation Dormeur, Vaduz King’s Together Rapid COVID-19 Call award Huo Family Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pandemic, neutralizing antibodies, antibody waning, seroconversion, antibody kinetics, disease severity, infectious dose, reinfection protection, healthcare workers, booster vaccination, serological testing
MeSH terms
Seroconversion, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antibodies, Viral, Female, Humans, Kinetics, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Severity of Illness Index, Young Adult, Antibodies, Neutralizing

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