Longitudinal IgA and IgG Response, and ACE2 Binding Blockade, to Full-Length SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variants in a Population of Black PLWH Vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
Muneerah Smith,
Gaurav Kwatra,
Alane Izu,
Andrew Nel,
Clare Cutland,
Khatja Ahmed,
Vicky Baillie,
Shaun Barnabas,
Qasim Bhorat,
Carmen Briner,
Erica Lazarus,
Keertan Dheda,
Lee Fairlie,
Anthonet Koen,
Shabir Madhi,
Jonathan M. Blackburn
Affiliations
Muneerah Smith
Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Gaurav Kwatra
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Alane Izu
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Andrew Nel
Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Clare Cutland
African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Khatja Ahmed
Setshaba Research Centre, Tshwane 0182, South Africa
Vicky Baillie
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Shaun Barnabas
Family Centre for Research with Ubuntu, Department of Paediatrics, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7600, South Africa
Qasim Bhorat
Soweto Clinical Trials Centre, Soweto 6201, South Africa
Carmen Briner
Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Erica Lazarus
Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Keertan Dheda
Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine and UCT Lung Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Lee Fairlie
Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Anthonet Koen
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Shabir Madhi
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Jonathan M. Blackburn
Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been pivotal in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic yet understanding the subsequent outcomes and immunological effects remain crucial, especially for at-risk groups e.g., people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH). In this study we report the longitudinal IgA and IgG antibody titers, as well as antibody-mediated angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding blockade, against the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) proteins after 1 and 2 doses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a population of Black PLWH. Here, we report that PLWH (N = 103) did not produce an anti-S IgA response after infection or vaccination, however, anti-S IgG was detected in response to vaccination and infection, with the highest level detected for infected vaccinated participants. The anti-IgG and ACE2 blockade assays revealed that both vaccination and infection resulted in IgG production, however, only vaccination resulted in a moderate increase in ACE2 binding blockade to the ancestral S protein. Vaccination with a previous infection results in the greatest anti-S IgG and ACE2 blockade for the ancestral S protein. In conclusion, PLWH produce an anti-S IgG response to the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and/or infection, and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination with a previous infection produced more neutralizing antibodies than vaccination alone.
