Immune durability and protection against SARS-CoV-2 re-infection in Syrian hamsters

Emerging Microbes and Infections

E. Luley¹  S. L. Gupta²  T. A. Heinly³  C. J. Field³  D. R. Patel³  T. C. Sutton³  T. H. Vanderford⁴  J. Wrammert⁵  D. G. Sim⁶ 

[1] Animal Diagnostic Lab, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA;Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA;Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA;Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA;Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), University Park, PA, USA;The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    antibodies;    re-infection;    hamster;    immunity;   

DOI  :  10.1080/22221751.2022.2058419

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a pandemic. As immunity to endemic human coronaviruses (i.e. NL63 or OC43) wanes leading to re-infection, it was unknown if SARS-CoV-2 immunity would also decline permitting repeat infections. Recent case reports confirm previously infected individuals can become re-infected; however, re-infection may be due to heterogeneity in the initial infection or the host immune response, or may be the result of infection with a variant strain that escapes pre-existing immunity. To control these variables, we utilized the Syrian hamster model to evaluate the duration of immunity and susceptibility to re-infection with SARS-CoV-2. Hamsters were given a primary mock or SARS-CoV-2 infection (culture media or 105 TCID50 USA/WA1/2020 isolate, respectively). Mock and SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters were then given a secondary SARS-CoV-2 infection at 1, 2, 4, or 6 months post-primary infection (n = 14/time point/group). After the primary SARS-CoV-2 infection, hamsters developed anti-spike protein IgG, IgA, and neutralizing antibodies, and these antibodies were maintained for at least 6 months. Upon secondary SARS-CoV-2 challenge, previously SARS-CoV-2 infected animals were protected from weight loss, while all previously mock-infected animals became infected and lost weight. Importantly, despite having high titres of antibodies, one SARS-CoV-2 infected animal re-challenged at 4 months had a breakthrough infection with replicating virus in the upper and lower respiratory tract. These studies demonstrate immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is maintained for 6 months; however, protection may be incomplete and, even in the presence of high antibody titres, previously infected hosts may become re-infected.

【 授权许可】

Unknown