Relationship between Humoral Response in COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Vaccination
Barbara Poniedziałek,
Ewelina Hallmann,
Dominika Sikora,
Karol Szymański,
Katarzyna Kondratiuk,
Jakub Żurawski,
Piotr Rzymski,
Lidia Brydak
Affiliations
Barbara Poniedziałek
Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
Ewelina Hallmann
Department of Influenza Research, National Influenza Center at the National Institute of Public Health NIH—National Research Institute in Warsaw, Chocimska St. 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland
Dominika Sikora
Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
Karol Szymański
Department of Influenza Research, National Influenza Center at the National Institute of Public Health NIH—National Research Institute in Warsaw, Chocimska St. 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland
Katarzyna Kondratiuk
Department of Influenza Research, National Influenza Center at the National Institute of Public Health NIH—National Research Institute in Warsaw, Chocimska St. 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland
Jakub Żurawski
Department of Immunobiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
Piotr Rzymski
Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
Lidia Brydak
Department of Influenza Research, National Influenza Center at the National Institute of Public Health NIH—National Research Institute in Warsaw, Chocimska St. 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland
There is evidence that vaccination against seasonal influenza can improve innate immune responses to COVID-19 and decrease disease severity. However, less is known about whether it could also impact the humoral immunity in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. The present study aimed to compare the SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral responses (IgG antibodies against nucleocapsid; anti-N, receptor binding domain; anti-RBD, subunit S2; anti-S2, and envelope protein; anti-E) between non-hospitalized, COVID-19 unvaccinated, and mild COVID-19 convalescent patients who were and were not vaccinated against influenza during the 2019/2020 epidemic season (n = 489 and n = 292, respectively). The influenza-vaccinated group had significantly higher frequency and titers of anti-N antibodies (75 vs. 66%; mean 559 vs. 520 U/mL) and anti-RBD antibodies (85 vs. 76%; mean 580 vs. 540 U/mL). The prevalence and concentrations of anti-S2 and anti-E antibodies did not differ between groups (40–43%; mean 370–375 U/mL and 1.4–1.7%; mean 261–294 U/mL) and were significantly lower compared to those of anti-RBD and anti-N. In both groups, age, comorbidities, and gender did not affect the prevalence and concentrations of studied antibodies. The results indicate that influenza vaccination can improve serum antibody levels produced in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
