BMC Med . Comparative kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike protein RBD IgGs and neutralizing antibodies in convalescent and naïve recipients of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine versus COVID-19 patients

[tetano]

BMC Med


. 2021 Aug 23;19(1):208.
doi: 10.1186/s12916-021-02090-6.
Comparative kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike protein RBD IgGs and neutralizing antibodies in convalescent and naïve recipients of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine versus COVID-19 patients


Ioannis P Trougakos ^{# 1} , Evangelos Terpos ^{# 2} , Christina Zirou ³ , Aimilia D Sklirou ⁴ , Filia Apostolakou ⁵ , Sentiljana Gumeni ⁴ , Ioanna Charitaki ⁶ , Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou ⁴ , Tina Bagratuni ⁶ , Christine-Ivy Liacos ⁶ , Andreas Scorilas ⁷ , Eleni Korompoki ⁶ , Ioannis Papassotiriou ⁵ , Efstathios Kastritis ⁶ , Meletios A Dimopoulos ⁴



Affiliations

• PMID: 34420521
• PMCID: PMC8380479
• DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02090-6

Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has caused a still evolving global pandemic. Given the worldwide vaccination campaign, the understanding of the vaccine-induced versus COVID-19-induced immunity will contribute to adjusting vaccine dosing strategies and speeding-up vaccination efforts.
Methods: Anti-spike-RBD IgGs and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) titers were measured in BNT162b2 mRNA vaccinated participants (n = 250); we also investigated humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated individuals (n = 21) of this cohort 5 months post-vaccination and assayed NAbs levels in COVID-19 hospitalized patients (n = 60) with moderate or severe disease, as well as in COVID-19 recovered patients (n = 34).
Results: We found that one (boosting) dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine triggers robust immune (i.e., anti-spike-RBD IgGs and NAbs) responses in COVID-19 convalescent healthy recipients, while naïve recipients require both priming and boosting shots to acquire high antibody titers. Severe COVID-19 triggers an earlier and more intense (versus moderate disease) immune response in hospitalized patients; in all cases, however, antibody titers remain at high levels in COVID-19 recovered patients. Although virus infection promotes an earlier and more intense, versus priming vaccination, immune response, boosting vaccination induces antibody titers significantly higher and likely more durable versus COVID-19. In support, high anti-spike-RBD IgGs/NAbs titers along with spike (vaccine encoded antigen) specific T cell clones were found in the serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively, of vaccinated individuals 5 months post-vaccination.
Conclusions: These findings support vaccination efficacy, also suggesting that vaccination likely offers more protection than natural infection.

Keywords: Anti-S-RBD IgGs; BNT162b2 vaccine; COVID-19; Neutralizing antibodies; SARS-CoV-2; Viral infection.