SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Avidity Responses in COVID-19 Patients and Convalescent Plasma Donors. (10th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Benner, Sarah E; Patel, Eshan U; Laeyendecker, Oliver; Pekosz, Andrew; Littlefield, Kirsten; Eby, Yolanda; Fernandez, Reinaldo E; Miller, Jernelle; Kirby, Charles S; Keruly, Morgan; Klock, Ethan; Baker, Owen R; Schmidt, Haley A; Shrestha, Ruchee; Burgess, Imani; Bonny, Tania S; Clarke, William; Caturegli, Patrizio; Sullivan, David; Shoham, Shmuel; Quinn, Thomas C; Bloch, Evan M; Casadevall, Arturo; Tobian, Aaron A R; Redd, Andrew D
• Is Part Of: Journal of infectious diseases. Volume 222:Number 12(2020)
• Page Start: 1974
• Page End: 1984
• Publication Date: 2020-09-10
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 -- avidity -- anti-spike -- anti-nucleocapsid -- convalescent plasma; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Diseases -- Causes and theories of causation -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1899

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Convalescent plasma therapy is a leading treatment for conferring temporary immunity to COVID-19–susceptible individuals or for use as post-exposure prophylaxis. However, not all recovered patients develop adequate antibody titers for donation and the relationship between avidity and neutralizing titers is currently not well understood. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid IgG titers and avidity were measured in a longitudinal cohort of COVID-19 hospitalized patients (n = 16 individuals) and a cross-sectional sample of convalescent plasma donors (n = 130). Epidemiologic correlates of avidity were examined in donors by linear regression. The association of avidity and a high neutralizing titer (NT) were also assessed in donors using modified Poisson regression. Results: Antibody avidity increased over duration of infection and remained elevated. In convalescent plasma donors, higher levels of anti-spike avidity were associated with older age, male sex, and hospitalization. Higher NTs had a stronger positive correlation with anti-spike IgG avidity (Spearman ρ = 0.386; P < .001) than with anti-nucleocapsid IgG avidity (Spearman ρ = 0.211; P = .026). Increasing levels of anti-spike IgG avidity were associated with high NT (≥160) (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.58 [95% confidence interval = 1.19–2.12]), independent of age, sex, and hospitalization. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 antibody avidity correlated with duration of infection and higher neutralizing titers, suggesting a potential alternative screening parameter for identifying optimal convalescent plasma donors. Abstract : Evaluation of antibody avidity from potential convalescent plasma donors and hospitalized COVID-19 patients suggests increased SARS-CoV-2 IgG avidity is associated with being older, male, and hospitalized. Avidity is correlated with neutralizing titers offering a potential screening parameter for convalescent donors.