Two-year prospective study of the humoral immune response of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.
In a cohort study of 56 convalescent patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against SARS-associated coronavirus were assessed at regular intervals (at 1, 4, 7, 10, 16, and 24 months after the onset of disease) by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neutralization assay. IgG antibody and NAb titers were highly correlated, peaking at month 4 after the onset of disease and decreasing thereafter. IgG antibodies remained detectable in all patients until month 16, and they became undetectable in 11.8% of patients at month 24. The finding that NAbs remained detectable throughout follow-up is reassuring in terms of protection provided against reinfection; however, NAb titers decreased markedly after month 16.
Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Wei
W
Liu
Arnaud
A
Fontanet
Pan-He
PH
Zhang
Lin
L
Zhan
Zhong-Tao
ZT
Xin
Laurence
L
Baril
Fang
F
Tang
Hui
H
Lv
Wu-Chun
WC
Cao
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G