Document Type
Article
Department
Haematology and Oncology, East Africa; Internal Medicine (East Africa); Pathology (East Africa)
Abstract
Background: Given the low levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), despite high levels of natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposures, strategies for extending the breadth and longevity of naturally acquired immunity are warranted. Designing such strategies will require a good understanding of naturally acquired immunity.
Methods: We measured whole-spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) and spike-receptor binding domain (RBD) total immunoglobulins (Igs) on 585 plasma samples collected longitudinally over five successive time points within six months of COVID-19 diagnosis in 309 COVID-19 patients. We measured antibody-neutralising potency against the wild-type (Wuhan) SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in a subset of 51 patients over three successive time points. Binding and neutralising antibody levels and potencies were then tested for correlations with COVID-19 severities.
Results: Rates of seroconversion increased from day 0 (day of PCR testing) to day 180 (six months) (63.6% to 100 %) and (69.3 % to 97%) for anti-spike-IgG and anti-spike-RBD binding Igs, respectively. Levels of these binding antibodies peaked at day 28 (p0.99). Similarly, antibody-neutralising potencies peaked at day 28 (p0.60, p
Conclusions: Most COVID-19 patients generated SARS-CoV-2 specific binding antibodies that remained stable in the first six months of infection. However, the respective neutralising antibodies decayed three-fold by month-six of COVID-19 diagnosis suggesting that they are short-lived, consistent with what has been observed elsewhere in the world. Thus, regular vaccination boosters are required to sustain the high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 naturally acquired neutralising antibody potencies in our population.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Wellcome Open Research
DOI
https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19414.2
Recommended Citation
Kimotho, J.,
Sein, Y.,
Sayed, S.,
Shah, R.,
Saleh, M.,
Karanu, A.,
Oluoch, V.,
Shah, J.,
Mutiso, J.,
Nneka, Z.,
Mburu, A.,
Betti, P.,
Ndungu, F. M.
(2024). Kinetics of naturally induced binding and neutralising anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and potencies among SARS-CoV-2 infected Kenyans with diverse grades of COVID-19 severity: an observational study. Wellcome Open Research, 8(350).
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_pathol/303
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.