Preexisting and de novo humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in humans

Ng, Kevin W; Faulkner, Nikhil; Cornish, Georgina H; Rosa, Annachiara; Harvey, Ruth; Hussain, Saira; Ulferts, Rachel; Earl, Christopher; Wrobel, Antoni G; Benton, Donald J; Roustan, Chloe; Bolland, William; Thompson, Rachael; Agua-Doce, Ana; Hobson, Philip; Heaney, Judith; Rickman, Hannah; Paraskevopoulou, Stavroula; Houlihan, Catherine F; Thomson, Kirsty; Sanchez, Emilie; Shin, Gee Yen; Spyer, Moira J; Joshi, Dhira; O'Reilly, Nicola; Walker, Philip A; Kjaer, Svend; Riddell, Andrew; Moore, Catherine; Jebson, Bethany R; Wilkinson, Meredyth; Marshall, Lucy R; Rosser, Elizabeth C; Radziszewska, Anna; Peckham, Hannah; Ciurtin, Coziana; Wedderburn, Lucy R; Beale, Rupert; Swanton, Charles; Gandhi, Sonia; Stockinger, Brigitta; McCauley, John; Gamblin, Steve J; Mccoy, Laura E; Cherepanov, Peter; Nastouli, Eleni; Kassiotis, George

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Preexisting and de novo humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in humans

journal contribution

posted on 2020-12-11, 13:55 authored by Kevin W Ng, Nikhil Faulkner, Georgina H Cornish, Annachiara Rosa, Ruth Harvey, Saira Hussain, Rachel Ulferts, Christopher Earl, Antoni G Wrobel, Donald J Benton, Chloe Roustan, William Bolland, Rachael Thompson, Ana Agua-Doce, Philip Hobson, Judith Heaney, Hannah Rickman, Stavroula Paraskevopoulou, Catherine F Houlihan, Kirsty Thomson, Emilie Sanchez, Gee Yen Shin, Moira J Spyer, Dhira Joshi, Nicola O'Reilly, Philip A Walker, Svend Kjaer, Andrew Riddell, Catherine Moore, Bethany R Jebson, Meredyth Wilkinson, Lucy R Marshall, Elizabeth C Rosser, Anna Radziszewska, Hannah Peckham, Coziana Ciurtin, Lucy R Wedderburn, Rupert Beale, Charles Swanton, Sonia Gandhi, Brigitta Stockinger, John McCauley, Steve J Gamblin, Laura E Mccoy, Peter Cherepanov, Eleni Nastouli, George Kassiotis

Zoonotic introduction of novel coronaviruses may encounter preexisting immunity in humans. Using diverse assays for antibodies recognizing SARS-CoV-2 proteins, we detect preexisting humoral immunity. SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S)-reactive antibodies were detectable by a flow cytometry-based method in SARS-CoV-2-uninfected individuals and were particularly prevalent in children and adolescents. They were predominantly of the IgG class and targeted the S2 subunit. By contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection induced higher titers of SARS-CoV-2 S-reactive IgG antibodies, targeting both the S1 and S2 subunits, and concomitant IgM and IgA antibodies, lasting throughout the observation period. Notably, SARS-CoV-2-uninfected donor sera exhibited specific neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 S pseudotypes. Distinguishing preexisting and de novo immunity will be critical for our understanding of susceptibility to and the natural course of SARS-CoV-2 infection.