Milk antibody response after 3rd COVID-19 vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 infection and implications for infant protection

Yarden Golan; Mikias Ilala; Lin Li; Caryl Gay; Soumya Hunagund; Christine Y. Lin; Arianna G. Cassidy; Unurzul Jigmeddagva; Yusuke Matsui; Nida Ozarslan; Ifeyinwa V. Asiodu; Nadav Ahituv; Valerie J. Flaherman; Stephanie L. Gaw; Mary Prahl

iScience (Oct 2023)

Milk antibody response after 3rd COVID-19 vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 infection and implications for infant protection

Yarden Golan,
Mikias Ilala,
Lin Li,
Caryl Gay,
Soumya Hunagund,
Christine Y. Lin,
Arianna G. Cassidy,
Unurzul Jigmeddagva,
Yusuke Matsui,
Nida Ozarslan,
Ifeyinwa V. Asiodu,
Nadav Ahituv,
Valerie J. Flaherman,
Stephanie L. Gaw,
Mary Prahl

Affiliations

Yarden Golan: Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Mikias Ilala: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Lin Li: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Caryl Gay: Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Soumya Hunagund: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Christine Y. Lin: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Arianna G. Cassidy: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Unurzul Jigmeddagva: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Yusuke Matsui: Gladstone Institute of Virology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Michael Hulton Center for HIV Cure Research at Gladstone, San Francisco, CA, USA
Nida Ozarslan: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Ifeyinwa V. Asiodu: Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Nadav Ahituv: Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Valerie J. Flaherman: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Stephanie L. Gaw: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Corresponding author
Mary Prahl: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 26, no. 10
p. 107767

Abstract

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Summary: Little is known about the persistence of human milk anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after 2nd and 3rd vaccine doses and infection following 3rd dose. In this study, human milk, saliva, and blood samples were collected from 33 lactating individuals before and after vaccination and infection. Antibody levels were measured using ELISA and symptoms were assessed using questionnaires. We found that after vaccination, milk anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies persisted for up to 8 months. In addition, distinct patterns of human milk IgA and IgG production and higher milk RBD-blocking activity was observed after infection compared to 3-dose vaccination. Infected mothers reported more symptoms than vaccinated mothers. We examined the persistence of milk antibodies in infant saliva after breastfeeding and found that IgA was more abundant compared to IgG. Our results emphasize the importance of improving the secretion of IgA antibodies to human milk after vaccination to improve the protection of breastfeeding infants.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

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