Clinical characteristics and antibody response to Omicron variants among solid carcinoma patients in China on the 2022.12-2023.4 wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

China experienced a surge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variants after adjusting its zero-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) policy. Although infections with Omicron variants are generally less severe than infections with previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, the clinical characteristics, persistent symptoms, and antibody responses in solid carcinoma patients (SCPs) with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave are unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study in April 2023, recruiting healthy controls (HCs) from the community and SCPs from Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital. Serum samples were collected, and a questionnaire was used to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection status, including demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and "long COVID" symptoms. Humoral immune responses were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) targeting immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD; Omicron BA.4/5) protein and cell culture-based neutralization assays against Omicron variants (BA.4/5, BF.7, XBB.1.5, and EG.5).

RESULTS

In total, 298 SCPs and 258 HCs were enrolled. Self-reported COVID-19 case rates were significantly lower in SCPs than in HCs (78.5% vs. 93.8%, P<0.001). Common COVID-19 symptoms were similar between the two groups, primarily comprising general (92.6% vs. 84.9%) and respiratory symptoms (51.9% vs. 48.2%) after acute infection. There was no significant difference in persistent symptoms at 1-3 months post-infection (P=0.353); fatigue was the most common symptom (45.0% vs. 44.8%). SCPs exhibited lower anti-RBD-IgG titers compared with HCs (1.061 vs. 1.978, P=0.001). The 50% pseudovirus neutralization titer (pVNT) values for prevalent Omicron strains (BA.4/5 and BF.7) were lower in SCPs than in HCs (621.0 [288.8, 1333.0] vs. 894.1 [458.5, 1637.0] and 529.6 [215.3, 1264.5] vs. 463.1 [185.2, 914.0], respectively). Levels of antibodies against subsequent variants (XBB.1.5 and EG.5) also were reduced. There were no significant differences among carcinoma types in the levels of antibodies against Omicron variants. However, SCPs who received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine or had COVID-19 during the Omicron wave displayed higher antibody levels.

CONCLUSIONS

This study elucidated the clinical and immunological characteristics of SCPs during the Omicron wave in China after the shift away from a zero-COVID-19 policy. Our findings provide insights regarding factors that influence COVID-19 symptoms and antibody levels in this population.