| Title: | Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over 18 months following infection: UK Biobank COVID-19 Serology Study |
| Journal: | Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health |
| Published: | 3 Nov 2023 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37923370/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2023-220569 |
| URL: | https://jech.bmj.com/content/jech/early/2023/11/03/jech-2023-220569.full.pdf |
Publication 8395
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the persistence of antibodies after the first year following SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to determine the proportion of individuals that maintain detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over an 18-month period following infection.</p>
METHODS: Population-based prospective study of 20 000 UK Biobank participants and their adult relatives recruited in May 2020. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 cases testing positive for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the spike protein (IgG-S), and the nucleocapsid protein (IgG-N), was calculated at varying intervals following infection.</p>
RESULTS: Overall, 20 195 participants were recruited. Their median age was 56 years (IQR 39-68), 56% were female and 88% were of white ethnicity. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 cases with IgG-S antibodies following infection remained high (92%, 95% CI 90%-93%) at 6 months after infection. Levels of IgG-N antibodies following infection gradually decreased from 92% (95% CI 88%-95%) at 3 months to 72% (95% CI 70%-75%) at 18 months. There was no strong evidence of heterogeneity in antibody persistence by age, sex, ethnicity or socioeconomic deprivation.</p>
CONCLUSION: This study adds to the limited evidence on the long-term persistence of antibodies following SARS-CoV-2 infection, with likely implications for waning immunity following infection and the use of IgG-N in population surveys.</p>
25 Authors
- Jelena Bešević
- Ben Lacey
- Howard Callen
- Wemimo Omiyale
- Megan Conroy
- Qi Feng
- Derrick W Crook
- Nicola Doherty
- Daniel Ebner
- David W Eyre
- Dan Fry
- Edward Horn
- E Yvonne Jones
- Brian D Marsden
- Tim E A Peto
- Fenella Starkey
- David Stuart
- Samantha Welsh
- Natasha Wood
- Alan Young
- Allen Young
- Mark Effingham
- Rory Collins
- Jo Holliday
- Naomi Allen
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