Compassionate use of convalescent plasma for treatment of moderate and severe pneumonia in COVID-19 patients and association with IgG antibody levels in donated plasma
Yasmin Maor, Dani Cohen, Nir Paran, Tomer Israely, Vered Ezra, Ofra Axelrod, Eilat Shinar, Marina Izak, Galia Rahav, Naomi Rahimi‐Levene, Baruch M Bazofin, Ram Gelman, Dror Dicker, Tal Brosh‐Nissimov, Orli Megged, David Dahan, Avi Benov, Alona Paz, Edward Kaykov, Amit Moran, Ori Rogowski, Patrick Sorkine, Ami Mayo, Oren Zimhony, Jacob Chen
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We assessed outcome of patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 following treatment with convalescent plasma (CP) and the association with IgG levels in transfused CP. METHODS: A prospective cohort study. Primary outcome was improvement at day 14 defined as alive, not on mechanical ventilation, and moderate, mild, or recovered from COVID-19. Antibody levels in CP units were unknown at the time of treatment. IgG against the spike protein S1 was subsequently measured by ELISA. Neutralizing antibodies titers were determined in a subset. Outcome was assessed in relation to the mean antibody level transfused to the patients (≤4.0 versus >4.0). FINDINGS: = 0.007. No serious adverse events were reported. INTERPRETATION: Treatment with CP with higher levels of IgG against S1 may benefit patients with moderate and severe COVID-19. IgG against S1 level in CP predicts neutralization antibodies titers.