Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany
A vast majority of COVID-19 cases present with mild or moderate symptoms. The study region is in an urban and well-defined environment in a low-incidence region in Northern Germany. In the present study, we explored the dynamics of the antibody response with respect to onset, level and duration in p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.570543/full |
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| author | Werner Solbach Werner Solbach Julia Schiffner Insa Backhaus Insa Backhaus David Burger Ralf Staiger Bettina Tiemer Andreas Bobrowski Timothy Hutchings Alexander Mischnik |
| author_facet | Werner Solbach Werner Solbach Julia Schiffner Insa Backhaus Insa Backhaus David Burger Ralf Staiger Bettina Tiemer Andreas Bobrowski Timothy Hutchings Alexander Mischnik |
| author_sort | Werner Solbach |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A vast majority of COVID-19 cases present with mild or moderate symptoms. The study region is in an urban and well-defined environment in a low-incidence region in Northern Germany. In the present study, we explored the dynamics of the antibody response with respect to onset, level and duration in patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA were detected by automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients monitored by the Health Protection Authority. This explorative monocentric study shows IgA and IgG antibody profiles from 118 patients with self-reported mild to moderate, or no COVID-19 related symptoms after laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2. We found that 21.7% and 18.1% of patients were seronegative for IgA or IgG, respectively. Clinically, most of the seronegative patients showed no to only moderate symptoms. With regard to antibody profiling 82% of all patients developed sustainable antibodies (IgG) and 78% (IgA) 3 weeks or later after the infection. Our data indicate that antibody-positivity is a useful indicator of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Negative antibodies do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future studies are needed to determine the functionality of the antibodies in terms of neutralization capacity leading to personal protection and prevention ability to transmit the virus as well as to protect after vaccination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:04:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f83cc836c8d4760938acd817e465730 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:04:56Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f83cc836c8d4760938acd817e4657302022-12-22T01:28:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652020-09-01810.3389/fpubh.2020.570543570543Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern GermanyWerner Solbach0Werner Solbach1Julia Schiffner2Insa Backhaus3Insa Backhaus4David Burger5Ralf Staiger6Bettina Tiemer7Andreas Bobrowski8Timothy Hutchings9Alexander Mischnik10Center for Infection and Inflammation Research, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, GermanyHealth Protection Authority, Lübeck, GermanyHealth Protection Authority, Lübeck, GermanyHealth Protection Authority, Lübeck, GermanyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyMunicipal Statistics Department, Lübeck, GermanyGemeinschaftspraxis Huextertor, Lübeck, GermanyLaboraerztliche Gemeinschaftspraxis Lübeck, Lübeck, GermanyLaboraerztliche Gemeinschaftspraxis Lübeck, Lübeck, GermanyMunicipal Statistics Department, Lübeck, GermanyHealth Protection Authority, Lübeck, GermanyA vast majority of COVID-19 cases present with mild or moderate symptoms. The study region is in an urban and well-defined environment in a low-incidence region in Northern Germany. In the present study, we explored the dynamics of the antibody response with respect to onset, level and duration in patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA were detected by automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients monitored by the Health Protection Authority. This explorative monocentric study shows IgA and IgG antibody profiles from 118 patients with self-reported mild to moderate, or no COVID-19 related symptoms after laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2. We found that 21.7% and 18.1% of patients were seronegative for IgA or IgG, respectively. Clinically, most of the seronegative patients showed no to only moderate symptoms. With regard to antibody profiling 82% of all patients developed sustainable antibodies (IgG) and 78% (IgA) 3 weeks or later after the infection. Our data indicate that antibody-positivity is a useful indicator of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Negative antibodies do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future studies are needed to determine the functionality of the antibodies in terms of neutralization capacity leading to personal protection and prevention ability to transmit the virus as well as to protect after vaccination.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.570543/fullCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2immunoglobulinIgGIgAseroprevalence |
| spellingShingle | Werner Solbach Werner Solbach Julia Schiffner Insa Backhaus Insa Backhaus David Burger Ralf Staiger Bettina Tiemer Andreas Bobrowski Timothy Hutchings Alexander Mischnik Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin IgG IgA seroprevalence |
| title | Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany |
| title_full | Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany |
| title_fullStr | Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany |
| title_short | Antibody Profiling of COVID-19 Patients in an Urban Low-Incidence Region in Northern Germany |
| title_sort | antibody profiling of covid 19 patients in an urban low incidence region in northern germany |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin IgG IgA seroprevalence |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.570543/full |
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