J Infect Dis
. 2021 Jul 19;jiab375.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab375. Online ahead of print.
Kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and serological estimation of time since infection
Stéphane Pelleau 1 2 , Tom Woudenberg 1 2 , Jason Rosado 1 2 3 , Françoise Donnadieu 1 2 , Laura Garcia 1 2 , Thomas Obadia 1 2 4 , Soazic Gardais 2 , Yasmine Elgharbawy 2 , Aurelie Velay 5 6 , Maria Gonzalez 7 , Jacques Yves Nizou 8 , Nizar Khelil 8 , Konstantinos Zannis 8 , Charlotte Cockram 9 , Sarah Hélène Merkling 10 , Annalisa Meola 11 , Solen Kerneis 12 13 14 , Benjamin Terrier 15 16 , Jerome de Seze 17 , Delphine Planas 18 , Olivier Schwartz 18 , François Dejardin 19 , Stéphane Petres 19 , Cassandre von Platen 20 , Sandrine Fernandes Pellerin 20 , Laurence Arowas 21 , Louise Perrin de Facci 21 , Darragh Duffy 22 , Clíona Ní Cheallaigh 23 24 , Jean Dunne 25 26 , Niall Conlon 25 26 , Liam Townsend 23 24 , Veasna Duong 27 , Heidi Auerswald 27 , Laurie Pinaud 28 , Laura Tondeur 28 , Marija Backovic 11 , Bruno Hoen 29 , Arnaud Fontanet 28 30 , Ivo Mueller 2 31 32 , Samira Fafi-Kremer 5 6 , Timothée Bruel 18 33 , Michael White 1 2
Affiliations
- PMID: 34282461
- DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab375
Abstract
Background: Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a complex antibody response that varies by orders of magnitude between individuals and over time.
Methods: We developed a multiplex serological test for measuring antibodies to five SARS-CoV-2 antigens and the Spike proteins of seasonal coronaviruses. We measured antibody responses in cohorts of hospitalized patients and healthcare workers followed for up to eleven months after symptoms. A mathematical model of antibody kinetics was used to quantify the duration of antibody responses. Antibody response data were used to train algorithms for estimating time since infection.
Results: One year after symptoms, we estimate that 36% (95% range: 11%, 94%) of anti-Spike IgG remains, 31% (9%, 89%) anti-RBD IgG remains, and 7% (1%, 31%) anti-Nucleocapsid IgG remains. The multiplex assay classified previous infections into time intervals of 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-12 months. This method was validated using data from a sero-prevalence survey in France, demonstrating that historical SARS-CoV-2 transmission can be reconstructed using samples from a single survey.
Conclusions: In addition to diagnosing previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, multiplex serological assays can estimate the time since infection which can be used to reconstruct past epidemics.
Keywords: SARS-SoV-2; antibody kinetics; sero-prevalence; surveillance; time since infection.