Frontiers in Immunology (Feb 2022)

Pre-COVID-19 Immunity to Common Cold Human Coronaviruses Induces a Recall-Type IgG Response to SARS-CoV-2 Antigens Without Cross-Neutralisation

  • Makoto Miyara,
  • Melissa Saichi,
  • Delphine Sterlin,
  • Delphine Sterlin,
  • François Anna,
  • François Anna,
  • Stéphane Marot,
  • Alexis Mathian,
  • Alexis Mathian,
  • Mo Atif,
  • Paul Quentric,
  • Audrey Mohr,
  • Laetitia Claër,
  • Christophe Parizot,
  • Karim Dorgham,
  • Hans Yssel,
  • Jehane Fadlallah,
  • Jehane Fadlallah,
  • Thibaut Chazal,
  • Thibaut Chazal,
  • Julien Haroche,
  • Julien Haroche,
  • Charles-Edouard Luyt,
  • Charles-Edouard Luyt,
  • Julien Mayaux,
  • Alexandra Beurton,
  • Alexandra Beurton,
  • Neila Benameur,
  • David Boutolleau,
  • Sonia Burrel,
  • Sophia de Alba,
  • Sasi Mudumba,
  • Rick Hockett,
  • Cary Gunn,
  • Pierre Charneau,
  • Pierre Charneau,
  • Vincent Calvez,
  • Anne-Geneviève Marcelin,
  • Alain Combes,
  • Alain Combes,
  • Alexandre Demoule,
  • Zahir Amoura,
  • Zahir Amoura,
  • Guy Gorochov

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.790334
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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The capacity of pre-existing immunity to human common coronaviruses (HCoV) to cross-protect against de novo COVID-19is yet unknown. In this work, we studied the sera of 175 COVID-19 patients, 76 healthy donors and 3 intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) batches. We found that most COVID-19 patients developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies before IgM. Moreover, the capacity of their IgGs to react to beta-HCoV, was present in the early sera of most patients before the appearance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. This implied that a recall-type antibody response was generated. In comparison, the patients that mounted an anti-SARS-COV2 IgM response, prior to IgG responses had lower titres of anti-beta-HCoV IgG antibodies. This indicated that pre-existing immunity to beta-HCoV was conducive to the generation of memory type responses to SARS-COV-2. Finally, we also found that pre-COVID-19-era sera and IVIG cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2 antigens without neutralising SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in vitro. Put together, these results indicate that whilst pre-existing immunity to HCoV is responsible for recall-type IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2, it does not lead to cross-protection against COVID-19.

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