A longitudinal seroconversion panel shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels up to 6.5 months after vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna)

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Abstract

Background

Vaccines have emerged as a crucial tool in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic particularly those based on SARS-CoV-2 S-protein mRNA. A crucial aspect of vaccine efficacy is the duration of antibody responses. In this study, a seroconversion panel was created to assess antibody responses to the mRNA-1273 vaccine over time (6.5 months).

Methods

Blood samples collected from 15 healthy adult participants prior to and up to 6.5 months after vaccination with the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Moderna). Serum from these blood samples were analyzed for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody activity by chemiluminescent immunoassay.

Results

The immunoassay results showed that one participant was positive for anti-SARS-CoV- 2 antibodies prior to vaccination indicating a prior infection. All participants showed a positive antibody response after the first vaccination. Highest antibody responses were seen after the second dose (41-45 days from the first dose). Subsequent samples collected at 69-75 days, 130-135 days and 221-229 days after the first vaccination showed positive responses but declining levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Conclusions

Declining antibody levels in these participants support the use of booster vaccination to increase antibody levels 4-6 months after the initial vaccine series and continued monitoring to assess the durability of COVID-19 vaccine responses. These results are in agreement with other studies showing antibody persistence but declining the antibody levels in the months after immunization with mRNA-based vaccines.

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  1. SciScore for 10.1101/2022.01.25.22269762: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    EthicsConsent: Seroconversion panel collection: The samples which make up these seroconversion panels were collected from volunteer healthcare workers at a Morristown, Tennessee (USA) hospital that had provided informed consent.
    IRB: This study was conducted under an approved IRB protocol ([SDP-003] Human Biological Specimen Collections: Diagnostic Investigational Review Board, Cummaquid, MA, USA).
    Sex as a biological variableThere were nine male and six female participants in this group.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Antibodies
    SentencesResources
    The serum samples were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody activity with a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA: Liaison SARS-CoV-2 IgG Assay, Diasorin, Inc, Saluggia, Italy: EUA approved).
    anti-SARS-CoV-2
    suggested: None
    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    This study was conducted under an approved IRB protocol ([SDP-003] Human Biological Specimen Collections: Diagnostic Investigational Review Board, Cummaquid, MA, USA).
    Human Biological
    suggested: ( Human Biological Data Interchange , RRID:SCR_004591)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).


    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.


    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.


    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.


    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.


    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.