Hundred-fold increase in SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody levels over three years in a hospital clinical laboratory
Date:
12/12/2023
Topics:
Citation:
Caturegli P, Laeyendecker O, Tobian AAR, Sullivan DJ. Hundred-fold increase in SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody levels over three years in a hospital clinical laboratory. Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Dec 12;11(6):e0218323. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02183-23. Epub 2023 Oct 9. PMID: 37811983; PMCID: PMC10715067.
Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Despite the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and ongoing transmission, COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality rates continue to decline. Both the percent seropositive and antibody levels have risen over the past 3 years. Here, we observe more than 90% seropositivity as well as more than a hundred-fold increase in spike IgG levels in a tertiary hospital clinical immunology laboratory setting. Antibody effector functions (such as neutralization, opsonization, and complement activation) and cell-mediated immunity all contribute to protection from COVID-19 progression to hospitalization, and all correlate to the total SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels. We recommend therapeutic COVID-19 convalescent plasma be restricted to the top 20% of potential donors to maintain activity against ongoing SARS-CoV-2 variant evolution.