Clinical Research Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USAgrid.280664.e.
Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USAgrid.280664.e.
Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Oct 26;10(5):e0202622. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02026-22. Epub 2022 Sep 19.
The impact of COVID-19 is still felt around the world, and more information is needed regarding infection risk, vaccination responses, and the timing of booster vaccinations. We aimed to evaluate the association of vaccination with closely followed, longitudinal antibody titers and COVID-19 infection events. We conducted a natural history study in a convenience cohort in an ambulatory research unit. We measured anti-nucleocapsid and anti-spike antibody levels every 3 months for 1 year and captured weekly reports of medically confirmed COVID-19 infections. We analyzed the association of antibody titers with infection events as well as the association of the decision to receive vaccination with social, medical, and behavioral characteristics. 629 subjects were followed for 1 year, and 82.8% of them were vaccinated. 90 cases of medically confirmed COVID-19 infection were reported. Notable findings from our study include: an association of vaccination choice with social distancing, a qualitatively different anti-spike response in participants receiving the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine compared to those receiving mRNA vaccines, a muted anti-nucleocapsid response in breakthrough infections compared to unvaccinated infections, and the identification of a low antibody titer threshold associated with the risk of breakthrough infections. We conclude that, in a real-life setting, vaccination and social distancing behavior are positively correlated. The observed effect of vaccination in preventing COVID-19 may include both vaccine-mediated protection and the associated more cautious behavior exhibited by vaccinated individuals. In addition, we identified an antibody threshold associated with breakthrough infections in mRNA vaccinees, and this threshold may be used in medical decision-making regarding the timing of booster vaccinations. Therefore, our data may aid in the refinement of vaccination strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact societies and health care systems worldwide and is continuously evolving. Immunity via vaccination or prior infection is the first and most important line of defense against COVID-19. We still do not have complete information on how vaccination-induced or infection-induced antibody titers change with time or on how this information can be used to guide decisions regarding booster vaccination. In a longitudinal observational study of a cohort of 629 subjects, 82% of breakthrough infections in vaccinees occurred when their anti-spike antibody titers were below 3,000 AU/mL. Our findings suggest that there may be an antibody threshold associated with breakthrough infections and that this threshold could possibly be used to aid decision-making regarding booster vaccinations. In addition, the use of anti-nucleocapsid antibody tiers may significantly underestimate the prevalence of breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals.
新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)在全球范围内仍有影响,我们需要更多关于感染风险、疫苗接种反应和加强针接种时机的信息。本研究旨在评估接种疫苗与密切随访的纵向抗体滴度和 COVID-19 感染事件之间的关联。我们在一个门诊研究单位的便利队列中进行了一项自然史研究。我们每 3 个月测量一次抗核衣壳和抗刺突抗体水平,为期 1 年,并每周报告经医学证实的 COVID-19 感染情况。我们分析了抗体滴度与感染事件的关联,以及接种疫苗的决定与社会、医疗和行为特征的关联。629 名受试者随访 1 年,其中 82.8%接种了疫苗。报告了 90 例经医学证实的 COVID-19 感染病例。我们的研究结果包括:接种疫苗的选择与社交距离的关联,与接受 mRNA 疫苗的参与者相比,接受 Ad26.COV2.S 疫苗的参与者的抗刺突反应存在质的差异,与未接种疫苗的感染相比,突破性感染中的抗核衣壳反应减弱,以及与突破性感染风险相关的低抗体滴度阈值的确定。我们得出的结论是,在现实环境中,接种疫苗和社交距离行为呈正相关。疫苗接种在预防 COVID-19 方面的作用可能包括疫苗介导的保护和接种者表现出的更谨慎的行为。此外,我们确定了与 mRNA 疫苗接种者突破性感染相关的抗体阈值,该阈值可用于医疗决策中关于加强针接种的时机。因此,我们的数据可能有助于在 COVID-19 大流行期间完善疫苗接种策略。COVID-19 大流行继续对全球社会和医疗保健系统产生影响,并在不断演变。通过接种疫苗或先前感染获得的免疫力是对抗 COVID-19 的第一道也是最重要的防线。我们仍然不完全了解接种疫苗或感染诱导的抗体滴度随时间的变化,以及如何利用这些信息来指导关于加强针接种的决策。在一项对 629 名受试者的队列进行的纵向观察性研究中,82%的突破性感染发生在疫苗接种者的抗刺突抗体滴度低于 3000 AU/mL 时。我们的研究结果表明,可能存在与突破性感染相关的抗体阈值,该阈值可能有助于决策关于加强针接种的时机。此外,使用抗核衣壳抗体水平可能会大大低估接种个体中突破性感染的发生率。