SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response Is Associated with Age and Body Mass Index in Convalescent Outpatients

  1. Bo Zhai
  2. Karen Clarke
  3. David L Bauer
  4. Krissy K Moehling Geffel
  5. Saran Kupul
  6. Lucas J Schratz
  7. M Patricia Nowalk
  8. Anita K McElroy
  9. James B McLachlan
  10. Richard K Zimmerman
  11. John F Alcorn

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Abstract

COVID-19 has had an unprecedented global impact on human health. Understanding the Ab memory responses to infection is one tool needed to effectively control the pandemic. Among 173 outpatients who had virologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, we evaluated serum Ab concentrations, microneutralization activity, and enumerated SARS-CoV-2–specific B cells in convalescent human blood specimens. Serum Ab concentrations were variable, allowing for stratification of the cohort into high and low responders. Neither participant sex, the timing of blood sampling following the onset of illness, nor the number of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein–specific B cells correlated with serum Ab concentration. Serum Ab concentration was positively associated with microneutralization activity and participant age, with participants under the age of 30 showing the lowest Ab level. These data suggest that young adult outpatients did not generate as robust Ab memory, compared with older adults. Body mass index was also positively correlated with serum Ab levels. Multivariate analyses showed that participant age and body mass index were independently associated with Ab levels. These findings have direct implications for public health policy and current vaccine efforts. Knowledge gained regarding Ab memory following infection will inform the need for vaccination in those previously infected and allow for a better approximation of population-wide protective immunity.

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  1. Version published to 10.4049/jimmunol.2101156
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.11.08.21265888: (What is this?)

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

    Table 1: Rigor

    Ethicsnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Cell Line Authenticationnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Antibodies
    SentencesResources
    Eluted cells were stained for 30 minutes at 4° C in the dark with the following anti-human antibodies (clone): CD19 (SJ25C1), CD3 (UCHT1), CD14 (HCD14), CD16 (B73.1), CD21 (Bu32), CD27 (M-T271), IgD (IA6-2), IgM (MHM-88) and IgG (G18-145).
    anti-human antibodies ( clone): CD19
    suggested: None
    CD3
    suggested: None
    UCHT1
    suggested: None
    CD14
    suggested: (BioLegend Cat# 348805, RRID:AB_2889063)
    HCD14
    suggested: None
    CD16
    suggested: None
    CD21
    suggested: None
    CD27
    suggested: None
    Experimental Models: Cell Lines
    SentencesResources
    Spots in Vero E6 cell cultures were imaged, counted, and processed using an ImmunoSpot Counter (CTL).
    Vero E6
    suggested: RRID:CVCL_XD71)
    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Concentrations derived using the Bioplex kit correlated with the reported WHO reference sample concentrations (Supplemental Figure 4).
    Bioplex
    suggested: (BioPlex, RRID:SCR_016144)
    Data was analyzed using FlowJo software (TreeStar, Ashland, OR).
    FlowJo
    suggested: (FlowJo, RRID:SCR_008520)
    Statistics: Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism Software (San Diego, CA)
    GraphPad Prism
    suggested: (GraphPad Prism, RRID:SCR_002798)

    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

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  3. Version published to 10.1101/2021.11.08.21265888v1 on medRxiv