Neutralization against Omicron subvariants after BA.5/BF.7 breakthrough infection weakened as virus evolution and aging despite repeated prototype-based vaccination1

Hongyu Wang; Quanlin Xue; Haocheng Zhang; Guanmin Yuan; Xun Wang; Kai Sheng; Chen Li; Jianpeng Cai; Yuhan Sun; Jingjing Zhao; Jiahuan Lu; Shuyu Fang; Yongfeng Yang; Yeting Zhang; Ying Huang; Jiancui Wang; Jonathan H. Xu; Melissa X. Jiang; Xinyu Wang; Lei Shen; Yuanyuan Liu; Qihui Liu; Qiran Zhang; Sen Wang; Pengfei Wang; Chao Qiu; Jingwen Ai; Wenhong Zhang

doi:10.1080/22221751.2023.2249121

Emerging Microbes and Infections (Dec 2023)

Neutralization against Omicron subvariants after BA.5/BF.7 breakthrough infection weakened as virus evolution and aging despite repeated prototype-based vaccination1

Hongyu Wang,
Quanlin Xue,
Haocheng Zhang,
Guanmin Yuan,
Xun Wang,
Kai Sheng,
Chen Li,
Jianpeng Cai,
Yuhan Sun,
Jingjing Zhao,
Jiahuan Lu,
Shuyu Fang,
Yongfeng Yang,
Yeting Zhang,
Ying Huang,
Jiancui Wang,
Jonathan H. Xu,
Melissa X. Jiang,
Xinyu Wang,
Lei Shen,
Yuanyuan Liu,
Qihui Liu,
Qiran Zhang,
Sen Wang,
Pengfei Wang,
Chao Qiu,
Jingwen Ai,
Wenhong Zhang

Affiliations

Hongyu Wang: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Quanlin Xue: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Haocheng Zhang: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Guanmin Yuan: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Xun Wang: Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Kai Sheng: Geriatric Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Chen Li: Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Jianpeng Cai: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Yuhan Sun: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Jingjing Zhao: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Jiahuan Lu: Geriatric Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Shuyu Fang: Geriatric Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Yongfeng Yang: Community Health Service Center of Huaxin Town, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Yeting Zhang: Community Health Service Center of Chonggu Town, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Ying Huang: Community Health Service Center of Baihe Street, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Jiancui Wang: Community Health Service Center of Xianghuaqiao Street, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Jonathan H. Xu: Shanghai High School International Division, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Melissa X. Jiang: Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Xinyu Wang: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Lei Shen: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Yuanyuan Liu: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Qihui Liu: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Qiran Zhang: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Sen Wang: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Pengfei Wang: Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Chao Qiu: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Jingwen Ai: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Wenhong Zhang: Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2023.2249121
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 2

Abstract

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Background: Omicron had swept the mainland China between December 2022 and January 2023, while SARS-CoV-2 still continued to evolve. To fully prepare for the next wave, it’s urgent to evaluate the humoral immune response post BA.5/BF.7 breakthrough infection against predominant sub-lineages among existing vaccination strategies and the elders. Method: This study enrolled a longitudinal young-adult cohort from 2/3-dose vaccination to 1 month after breakthrough infection, and an elder cohort at 1 month after breakthrough infection. Seral samples were collected and tested for humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 subvariants including WT, BA.2, BA.5, BF.7, BQ.1.1, CH.1.1, XBB.1.5. Results: BA.5/BF.7 breakthrough infection induced higher neutralization activity than solely vaccination in all SARS-CoV-2 strains, while the latest Omicron subvariants, BQ.1.1, CH.1.1, XBB.1.5, exhibited the strongest neutralization evasion ability. There was a negative correlation between age and humoral immune response in WT, BA.5, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1.5. Compared to non-vaccination groups, breakthrough infection in two-dose vaccination groups had significantly higher neutralizing antibody against WT, BA.2, BA.5, BF.7 but not to BQ.1.1, CH.1.1, XBB.1.5 while booster dose against the prototype prior-breakthrough would not further significantly enhance individual’s humoral responses against the latest Omicron subvariants. Conclusions: Newer variants manifest increasing immune evasion from neutralization and repeated prototype-based booster vaccines may not further enhance neutralizing antibody against emerging new variants. Older adults have lower levels of neutralizing antibody. Future vaccination strategies should aim to enhance effective neutralization to contemporary variants.

Published in Emerging Microbes and Infections

ISSN: 2222-1751 (Online)
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases; Science: Microbiology
Website: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/temi

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