Sera Neutralizing Activities Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Multiple Variants 6 Months After Hospitalization for Coronavirus Disease 2019
Maureen Betton, Marine Livrozet, Delphine Planas, Antoine Fayol, Blandine Monel, Benoı̂t Vedie, Timothée Bruel, Éric Tartour, Nicolas Robillard, Jean‐Claude Manuguerra, Anne Blanchard, Jade Ghosn, Benoît Visseaux, Hélène Péré, David Lebeaux, Olivier Schwartz, David Veyer, Jean‐Sébastien Hulot, French COVID Cohort Study Group, Laurent Abel, Claire Andréjak, François Angoulvant, Delphine Bachelet, Krishna Bhavsar, Lila Bouadma, Anissa Chair, Camille Couffignal, Charlène Da Silveira, Marie‐Pierre Debray, Diane Descamps, Xavier Duval, Philippine Eloy, Marina Esposito‐Farèse, Nadia Ettalhaoui, Nathalie Gault, Jade Ghosn, Isabelle Gorenne, Isabelle Hoffmann, Ouifiya Kafif, Sabrina Kali, Antoine Khalil, Cédric Laouenan, Samira Laribi, Minh Quan Lê, Quentin Le Hingrat, François-Xavier Lescure, Jean Christophe Lucet, France Mentré, Jimmy Mullaert, Nathan Peiffer‐Smadja, Gilles Peytavin, Carine Roy, Marion Schneider, Nassima Si Mohammed, Lysa Tagherset, Coralie Tardivon, Marie-Capucine Tellier, Jean‐François Timsit, Théo Trioux, Sarah Tubiana, Benoît Visseaux, Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Romain Basmaci, Olivier Picone, Sylvie Behilill, Sylvie van der Werf, Vincent Enouf, Hugo Mouquet, Marine Beluze, Dehbia Benkerrou, Céline Dorival, François Téoulé, Amina Meziane, François Bompart, Maude Bouscambert, Minerva Cervantes-Gonzalez, Éric D’Ortenzio, Oriane Puéchal, Caroline Semaille, Catherine Chirouze, Alexandra Coelho, Sandrine Couffin-Cadièrgues, Hélène Espérou, Ikram Houas, Salma Jaafoura, Aurélie Papadopoulos, Dominique Deplanque, Mathilde Desvallée, Coralie Khan, Alpha Diallo, Marie Bartoli, Soizic Le Mestre, Noémie Mercier, Christelle Paul, Ventzislava Petrov–Sanchez, Alphonsine Diouf, Alexandre Hoctin, Marina Mambert, François Dubos, Manuel Etienne
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Humoral response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occurs within the first weeks after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Those antibodies exert a neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2, whose evolution over time after COVID-19 as well as efficiency against novel variants are poorly characterized. METHODS: In this prospective study, sera of 107 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were collected at 3 and 6 months postinfection. We performed quantitative neutralization experiments on top of high-throughput serological assays evaluating anti-spike (S) and anti-nucleocapsid (NP) immunoglobulin G (IgG). RESULTS: Levels of seroneutralization and IgG rates against the ancestral strain decreased significantly over time. After 6 months, 2.8% of the patients had a negative serological status for both anti-S and anti-NP IgG. However, all sera had a persistent and effective neutralizing effect against SARS-CoV-2. IgG levels correlated with seroneutralization, and this correlation was stronger for anti-S than for anti-NP antibodies. The level of seroneutralization quantified at 6 months correlated with markers of initial severity, notably admission to intensive care units and the need for mechanical invasive ventilation. In addition, sera collected at 6 months were tested against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and showed efficient neutralizing effects against the D614G, B.1.1.7, and P.1 variants but significantly weaker activity against the B.1.351 variant. CONCLUSIONS: Decrease in IgG rates and serological assays becoming negative did not imply loss of neutralizing capacity. Our results indicate a sustained humoral response against the ancestral strain and the D614G, B.1.1.7, and P.1 variants for at least 6 months in patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19. A weaker protection was, however, observed for the B.1.351 variant.