EBioMedicine (Nov 2021)
Release of infectious virus and cytokines in nasopharyngeal swabs from individuals infected with non-alpha or alpha SARS-CoV-2 variants: an observational retrospective study
- Blandine Monel,
- Delphine Planas,
- Ludivine Grzelak,
- Nikaïa Smith,
- Nicolas Robillard,
- Isabelle Staropoli,
- Pedro Goncalves,
- Françoise Porrot,
- Florence Guivel-Benhassine,
- Nathalie Demory Guinet,
- Julien Rodary,
- Julien Puech,
- Victor Euzen,
- Laurent Bélec,
- Galdric Orvoen,
- Léa Nunes,
- Véronique Moulin,
- Jacques Fourgeaud,
- Maxime Wack,
- Sandrine Imbeaud,
- Pascal Campagne,
- Darragh Duffy,
- James P. Di Santo,
- Timothée Bruel,
- Hélène Péré,
- David Veyer,
- Olivier Schwartz
Affiliations
- Blandine Monel
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
- Delphine Planas
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France; Vaccine Research Institute, Creteil, France
- Ludivine Grzelak
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France; Université de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Nikaïa Smith
- Translational Immunology Lab, Department of Immunology, Inserm U1223, Institut Pasteur, Paris
- Nicolas Robillard
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Laboratoire de Virologie, Service de Microbiologie, Paris, France
- Isabelle Staropoli
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
- Pedro Goncalves
- Innate Immunity Unit, Department of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Inserm U1223, Institut Pasteur, Paris; Inserm U1223, Paris, France
- Françoise Porrot
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
- Florence Guivel-Benhassine
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
- Nathalie Demory Guinet
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Service de Médecine du Travail, Paris, France
- Julien Rodary
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Laboratoire de Virologie, Service de Microbiologie, Paris, France
- Julien Puech
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Laboratoire de Virologie, Service de Microbiologie, Paris, France
- Victor Euzen
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Laboratoire de Virologie, Service de Microbiologie, Paris, France
- Laurent Bélec
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Laboratoire de Virologie, Service de Microbiologie, Paris, France; Hôpital européen Georges Pompidou INSERM U970, PARCC, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Galdric Orvoen
- Hôpital Vaugirard, Service de gériatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- Léa Nunes
- Hôpital Corentin Celton, Service de gériatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
- Véronique Moulin
- Hôpital Corentin Celton, Service de gériatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
- Jacques Fourgeaud
- Université de Paris, EHU 7328 PACT, Institut Imagine, Paris, France; Virology Department, AP-HP, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
- Maxime Wack
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Département d'Informatique Médicale, Biostatistiques et Santé Publique
- Sandrine Imbeaud
- INSERM, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors (FunGeST), Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université de Paris and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Pascal Campagne
- Bioinformatic and Biostatistic Hub, Institut Pasteur, Paris
- Darragh Duffy
- Translational Immunology Lab, Department of Immunology, Inserm U1223, Institut Pasteur, Paris
- James P. Di Santo
- Innate Immunity Unit, Department of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Inserm U1223, Institut Pasteur, Paris; Inserm U1223, Paris, France
- Timothée Bruel
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France; Vaccine Research Institute, Creteil, France
- Hélène Péré
- INSERM, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors (FunGeST), Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université de Paris and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- David Veyer
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Laboratoire de Virologie, Service de Microbiologie, Paris, France; INSERM, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors (FunGeST), Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université de Paris and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Olivier Schwartz
- Virus & Immunity Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France; Vaccine Research Institute, Creteil, France; Corresponding author:
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 73
p. 103637
Abstract
Background: The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant shedding and immune responses at the nasal mucosa remain poorly characterised. Methods: We measured infectious viral release, antibodies and cytokines in 426 PCR+ nasopharyngeal swabs from individuals harboring non-alpha or alpha variants. Findings: With both lineages, viral titers were variable, ranging from 0 to >106 infectious units. Rapid antigenic diagnostic tests were positive in 94% of samples with infectious virus. 68 % of individuals carried infectious virus within two days after onset of symptoms. This proportion decreased overtime. Viable virus was detected up to 14 days. Samples containing anti-spike IgG or IgA did not generally harbor infectious virus. Ct values were slightly but not significantly lower with alpha. This variant was characterized by a fast decrease of infectivity overtime and a marked release of 13 cytokines (including IFN-b, IP-10 and IL-10). Interpretation: The alpha variant displays modified viral decay and cytokine profiles at the nasopharyngeal mucosae during symptomatic infection. Funding: This retrospective study has been funded by Institut Pasteur, ANRS, Vaccine Research Institute, Labex IBEID, ANR/FRM and IDISCOVR, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale.
