Elevated SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody Levels in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome, 2023, Hackenbruch

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Elevated SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody Levels in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome
by
Christopher Hackenbruch
1,2,
Yacine Maringer
2,3,4,
Christian M. Tegeler
1,5,
Juliane S. Walz
1,2,3,4,
Annika Nelde
2,3,4,*and
Jonas S. Heitmann
1,2


1
Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

2
Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Röntgenweg 11, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

3
Department for Peptide-Based Immunotherapy, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

4
Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

5
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Viruses 2023, 15(3), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030701
Received: 12 February 2023 / Revised: 3 March 2023 / Accepted: 4 March 2023 / Published: 8 March 2023
(This article belongs to the Section SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19)



Abstract

With the routine use of effective severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines, the number of life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) courses have largely been reduced.

However, multiple COVID-19 convalescents, even after asymptomatic to moderate disease, suffer from post-COVID syndrome, with relevant limitations in daily life. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of post-COVID syndrome are still elusive, with dysregulation of the immune system suggested as a central mechanism.

Here, we assessed COVID-19 post-infectious symptoms (5–6 months after PCR-confirmed acute infection) together with the humoral immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in non-hospitalized COVID-19 convalescents, early (5–6 weeks) and late (5–6 months) after their first positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result.

Convalescents reporting several post-infectious symptoms (>3) showed higher anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid antibody levels 5–6 weeks after PCR-confirmed infection with the latter remained increased 5–6 months after positive PCR.

Likewise, a higher post-infectious symptom score was associated with increased antibody levels.

Of note, convalescents displaying neuro-psychiatric symptoms such as restlessness, palpitations, irritability, and headache, as well as general symptoms such as fatigue/reduced power had higher SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels compared with asymptomatic cases.

The increased humoral immune response in convalescents with post-COVID syndrome might be useful for the detection of individuals with an increased risk for post-COVID syndrome.

Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; post-COVID syndrome; humoral immune response