Distinct age-specific SARS-CoV-2 IgG decay kinetics following natural infection
Abstract
Background
Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 can be observed as early as 14 days post-infection, but little is known about the stability of antibody levels over time. Here we evaluate the long-term stability of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies following infection with SARS-CoV-2 in 402 adult donors.
Methods
We performed a multi-center study carried out at Plasma Donor Centers in the city of Heidelberg (Plasmazentrum Heidelberg, Germany) and Munich (Plasmazentrum München, Germany). We present anti-S/N and anti-N IgG antibody levels in prospective serum samples collected up to 403 days post recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.
Results
The cohort includes 402 adult donors (185 female, 217 male; 17 - 68 years of age) where anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were measured in plasma samples collected between 18- and 403-days post SARS-CoV-2 infection. A linear mixed effects model demonstrated IgG decay rates that decrease over time (χ2=176.8, p<0.00001) and an interaction of time*age χ (χ2=10.0, p<0.005)), with those over 60+ years showing the highest baseline IgG levels and the fastest rate of IgG decay. Baseline viral neutralization assays demonstrated that serum IgG levels correlated within vitroneutralization capacity in 91% of our cohort.
Conclusion
Long-term antibody levels and age-specific antibody decay rates suggest the potential need for age-specific vaccine booster guidelines to ensure long term vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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