Cited by 886SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testingAnimal Virus Infections Studies

Preexisting and de novo humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in humans

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Ng, Kevin W., Faulkner, Nikhil, Cornish, Georgina H., Rosa, Annachiara, Harvey, Ruth, Hussain, Saira, Ulferts, Rachel, Earl, Christopher +39 more·2020·Science

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Abstract

Antibodies predating infection: Immunological memory after infection with seasonal human coronaviruses (hCoVs) may potentially contribute to cross-protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ng et al. report that in a cohort of 350 SARS-CoV-2–uninfected individuals, a small proportion had circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that could cross-react with the S2 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (see the Perspective by Guthmiller and Wilson). By contrast, COVID-19 patients generated IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies that recognized both the S1 and S2 subunits. The anti-S2 antibodies from SARS-CoV-2–uninfected patients showed specific neutralizing activity against both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 S pseudotypes. A much higher percentage of SARS-CoV-2–uninfected children and adolescents were positive for these antibodies compared with adults. This pattern may be due to the fact that children and adolescents generally have higher hCoV infection rates and a more diverse antibody repertoire, which may explain the age distribution of COVID-19 susceptibility. Science , this issue p. 1339 ; see also p. 1272

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Authors
Ng, K. W., Faulkner, N., Cornish, G. H., Rosa, A., Harvey, R., Hussain, S., Ulferts, R., Earl, C., Wrobel, A. G., Benton, D. J., Roustan, C., Bolland, W., Thompson, R., Agua-Doce, A., Hobson, P., Heaney, J., Rickman, H., Paraskevopoulou, S., Houlihan, C. F., Thomson, K., Sanchez, E., Shin, G. Y., Spyer, M. J., Joshi, D., O’Reilly, N., Walker, P. A., Kjaer, S., Riddell, A., Moore, C., Jebson, B. R., Wilkinson, M., Marshall, L. R., Rosser, E. C., Radziszewska, A., Peckham, H., Ciurtin, C., Wedderburn, L. R., Beale, R., Swanton, C., Gandhi, S., Stockinger, B., McCauley, J., Gamblin, S. J., McCoy, L. E., Cherepanov, P., Nastouli, E., & Kassiotis, G.
Affiliations
  • The Francis Crick Institute (GB)
  • Structural Biology STP, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
  • Flow Cytometry STP, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
  • University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • University Hospital of Wales (GB)
  • Great Ormond Street Hospital (GB)
  • Chromatin Structure and Mobile DNA Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
Corresponding author
  • McCoy, Laura E.
  • Nastouli, Eleni
  • Kassiotis, George
Venue
Science
Published
2020-12-11
Volume
370
Issue
6522
Pages
1339-1343
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W3096867322
Cited by
886
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 104 · 2022: 208 · 2021: 350 · 2020: 86
FWCI
24.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (102898/B/13/Z)
  • Francis Crick Institute (10169, 10827, 10015, 10078, 10030, 10099, 10013, 10061, 10006, 10159)
  • Cancer Research UK
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR-INF-1079, COVID-19, NF-SI-0616-10099, ACF-2018-20-002)
  • Università degli Studi di Trento
  • University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Versus Arthritis (21593, 22203, 21552)
  • Medical Research Council (MR/M004600/1, MR/R013926/1, MR/N003322/1, MR/R008698/1, COVID-19)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, pre-existing immunity, humoral immunity, spike protein, S2 subunit, S1 subunit, neutralizing antibodies, IgG, IgM, IgA, children and adolescents, zoonotic coronaviruses, COVID-19 pandemic
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Viral Zoonoses, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Antibodies, Viral, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulin A, Immunoglobulin G, Immunoglobulin M, Male, Middle Aged, Epitope Mapping, Young Adult, Immunity, Humoral, HEK293 Cells, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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