iScience (Mar 2022)
No substantial preexisting B cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy adults
- Meryem Seda Ercanoglu,
- Lutz Gieselmann,
- Sabrina Dähling,
- Nareshkumar Poopalasingam,
- Susanne Detmer,
- Manuel Koch,
- Michael Korenkov,
- Sandro Halwe,
- Michael Klüver,
- Veronica Di Cristanziano,
- Hanna Janicki,
- Maike Schlotz,
- Johanna Worczinski,
- Birgit Gathof,
- Henning Gruell,
- Matthias Zehner,
- Stephan Becker,
- Kanika Vanshylla,
- Christoph Kreer,
- Florian Klein
Affiliations
- Meryem Seda Ercanoglu
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Lutz Gieselmann
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Sabrina Dähling
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Nareshkumar Poopalasingam
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Susanne Detmer
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Manuel Koch
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Institute for Dental Research and Oral Musculoskeletal Biology and Center for Biochemistry, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Michael Korenkov
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Sandro Halwe
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 2, 35042 Marburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Michael Klüver
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 2, 35042 Marburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Veronica Di Cristanziano
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Hanna Janicki
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Maike Schlotz
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Johanna Worczinski
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Birgit Gathof
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Henning Gruell
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Matthias Zehner
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 2, 35042 Marburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Kanika Vanshylla
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Christoph Kreer
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Florian Klein
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Corresponding author
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 25,
no. 3
p. 103951
Abstract
Summary: Preexisting immunity against SARS-CoV-2 may have critical implications for our understanding of COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. The presence and clinical relevance of a preexisting B cell immunity remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the B cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed individuals. To this end, we extensively investigated SARS-CoV-2 humoral immunity in 150 adults sampled pre-pandemically. Comprehensive screening of donor plasma and purified IgG samples for binding and neutralization in various functional assays revealed no substantial activity against SARS-CoV-2 but broad reactivity to endemic betacoronaviruses. Moreover, we analyzed antibody sequences of 8,174 putatively SARS-CoV-2-reactive B cells at a single cell level and generated and tested 158 monoclonal antibodies. None of these antibodies displayed relevant binding or neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, our results show no evidence of competent preexisting antibody and B cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed adults.
