Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Although antibody levels progressively decrease following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the immune memory persists for months. Thus, individuals who naturally contracted SARS-CoV-2 are expected to develop a more rapid and sustained response to COVID-19 vaccines than naïve individuals. In this study, we anal...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/422 |
| _version_ | 1797413359526608896 |
|---|---|
| author | Federico Gobbi Dora Buonfrate Lucia Moro Paola Rodari Chiara Piubelli Sara Caldrer Silvia Riccetti Alessandro Sinigaglia Luisa Barzon |
| author_facet | Federico Gobbi Dora Buonfrate Lucia Moro Paola Rodari Chiara Piubelli Sara Caldrer Silvia Riccetti Alessandro Sinigaglia Luisa Barzon |
| author_sort | Federico Gobbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although antibody levels progressively decrease following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the immune memory persists for months. Thus, individuals who naturally contracted SARS-CoV-2 are expected to develop a more rapid and sustained response to COVID-19 vaccines than naïve individuals. In this study, we analyzed the dynamics of the antibody response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in six healthcare workers who contracted SARS-CoV-2 in March 2020, in comparison to nine control subjects without a previous infection. The vaccine was well tolerated by both groups, with no significant difference in the frequency of vaccine-associated side effects, with the exception of local pain, which was more common in previously infected subjects. Overall, the titers of neutralizing antibodies were markedly higher in response to the vaccine than after natural infection. In all subjects with pre-existing immunity, a rapid increase in anti-spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibody titers was observed one week after the first dose, which seemed to act as a booster. Notably, in previously infected individuals, neutralizing antibody titers 7 days after the first vaccine dose were not significantly different from those observed in naïve subjects 7 days after the second vaccine dose. These results suggest that, in previously infected people, a single dose of the vaccine might be sufficient to induce an effective response. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:16:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7649180bb03432580ce285318556f16 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:16:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7649180bb03432580ce285318556f162023-12-03T12:45:08ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-03-0113342210.3390/v13030422Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 InfectionFederico Gobbi0Dora Buonfrate1Lucia Moro2Paola Rodari3Chiara Piubelli4Sara Caldrer5Silvia Riccetti6Alessandro Sinigaglia7Luisa Barzon8Department of Infectious—Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, I-37024 Negrar, ItalyDepartment of Infectious—Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, I-37024 Negrar, ItalyDepartment of Infectious—Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, I-37024 Negrar, ItalyDepartment of Infectious—Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, I-37024 Negrar, ItalyDepartment of Infectious—Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, I-37024 Negrar, ItalyDepartment of Infectious—Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, I-37024 Negrar, ItalyDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, I-35121 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, I-35121 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, I-35121 Padova, ItalyAlthough antibody levels progressively decrease following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the immune memory persists for months. Thus, individuals who naturally contracted SARS-CoV-2 are expected to develop a more rapid and sustained response to COVID-19 vaccines than naïve individuals. In this study, we analyzed the dynamics of the antibody response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in six healthcare workers who contracted SARS-CoV-2 in March 2020, in comparison to nine control subjects without a previous infection. The vaccine was well tolerated by both groups, with no significant difference in the frequency of vaccine-associated side effects, with the exception of local pain, which was more common in previously infected subjects. Overall, the titers of neutralizing antibodies were markedly higher in response to the vaccine than after natural infection. In all subjects with pre-existing immunity, a rapid increase in anti-spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibody titers was observed one week after the first dose, which seemed to act as a booster. Notably, in previously infected individuals, neutralizing antibody titers 7 days after the first vaccine dose were not significantly different from those observed in naïve subjects 7 days after the second vaccine dose. These results suggest that, in previously infected people, a single dose of the vaccine might be sufficient to induce an effective response.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/422COVID-19 vaccineneutralizing antibodyanti-spike RBD IgG antibodyBNT162b2 vaccineSARS-CoV-2immune response |
| spellingShingle | Federico Gobbi Dora Buonfrate Lucia Moro Paola Rodari Chiara Piubelli Sara Caldrer Silvia Riccetti Alessandro Sinigaglia Luisa Barzon Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection Viruses COVID-19 vaccine neutralizing antibody anti-spike RBD IgG antibody BNT162b2 vaccine SARS-CoV-2 immune response |
| title | Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| title_full | Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| title_fullStr | Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| title_short | Antibody Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Subjects with Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| title_sort | antibody response to the bnt162b2 mrna covid 19 vaccine in subjects with prior sars cov 2 infection |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccine neutralizing antibody anti-spike RBD IgG antibody BNT162b2 vaccine SARS-CoV-2 immune response |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/422 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT federicogobbi antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT dorabuonfrate antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT luciamoro antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT paolarodari antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT chiarapiubelli antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT saracaldrer antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT silviariccetti antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT alessandrosinigaglia antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection AT luisabarzon antibodyresponsetothebnt162b2mrnacovid19vaccineinsubjectswithpriorsarscov2infection |