tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Infect Dis
. 2020 Nov 8;S1201-9712(20)32310-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.104. Online ahead of print.
High prevalence of pre-existing serological cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Sahara Africa
For Yue Tso[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Salum J Lidenge[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Phoebe B Pe?a[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ashley A Clegg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John R Ngowi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Julius Mwaiselage[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Owen Ngalamika[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Peter Julius[SUP] 6 [/SUP], John T West[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Charles Wood[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 has been experienced in America, Europe and Asia; whereas, the number of infections and deaths in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) has remained comparatively low. One hypothesis is that population in SSA has been exposed to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. Our goal was to evaluate this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and USA.
Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and USA were collected and tested by immunofluorescence assay against the spike and nucleocapid proteins of all known human coronaviruses (HCoV).
Results: Significantly higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 serological cross-reactivity was detected in samples from SSA compared to USA. Majority of these cross-reactive samples cross-recognized SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein together with recognition of spike proteins from other HCoVs. Since nucleocapsid proteins from HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E were detected by majority of samples, it implicates prior exposure to these two HCoVs as the likely source for cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusion: Low SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease in SSA appears to correlate with pre-pandemic serological cross-recognition of HCoVs, which are substantially more prevalent in SSA than USA.
Keywords: COVID-19; HCoV-229E; HCoV-NL63; SARS-CoV-2; cross-reactivity; human coronavirus; serology; sub-Sahara Africa.
. 2020 Nov 8;S1201-9712(20)32310-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.104. Online ahead of print.
High prevalence of pre-existing serological cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Sahara Africa
For Yue Tso[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Salum J Lidenge[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Phoebe B Pe?a[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ashley A Clegg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John R Ngowi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Julius Mwaiselage[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Owen Ngalamika[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Peter Julius[SUP] 6 [/SUP], John T West[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Charles Wood[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33176202
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.104
Abstract
Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 has been experienced in America, Europe and Asia; whereas, the number of infections and deaths in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) has remained comparatively low. One hypothesis is that population in SSA has been exposed to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. Our goal was to evaluate this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and USA.
Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and USA were collected and tested by immunofluorescence assay against the spike and nucleocapid proteins of all known human coronaviruses (HCoV).
Results: Significantly higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 serological cross-reactivity was detected in samples from SSA compared to USA. Majority of these cross-reactive samples cross-recognized SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein together with recognition of spike proteins from other HCoVs. Since nucleocapsid proteins from HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E were detected by majority of samples, it implicates prior exposure to these two HCoVs as the likely source for cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusion: Low SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease in SSA appears to correlate with pre-pandemic serological cross-recognition of HCoVs, which are substantially more prevalent in SSA than USA.
Keywords: COVID-19; HCoV-229E; HCoV-NL63; SARS-CoV-2; cross-reactivity; human coronavirus; serology; sub-Sahara Africa.