Persistence of Naturally Acquired and Functional SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Blood Donors One Year after Infection
Verena Nunhofer,
Lisa Weidner,
Alexandra Domnica Hoeggerl,
Georg Zimmermann,
Natalie Badstuber,
Christoph Grabmer,
Christof Jungbauer,
Nadja Lindlbauer,
Nina Held,
Monica Pascariuc,
Tuulia Ortner,
Eva Rohde,
Sandra Laner-Plamberger
Affiliations
Verena Nunhofer
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Lisa Weidner
Austrian Red Cross, Blood Service for Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, Wiedner Hauptstraße 32, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Alexandra Domnica Hoeggerl
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Georg Zimmermann
Team Biostatistics and Big Medical Data, IDA Lab Salzburg, PMU Salzburg, Strubergasse 16, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Natalie Badstuber
Department of Psychological Assessment, Institute of Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Christoph Grabmer
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Christof Jungbauer
Austrian Red Cross, Blood Service for Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, Wiedner Hauptstraße 32, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Nadja Lindlbauer
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Nina Held
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Monica Pascariuc
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Tuulia Ortner
Department of Psychological Assessment, Institute of Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Eva Rohde
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Sandra Laner-Plamberger
Department for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, Müllner-Hauptstraße 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
The developmental course of antibodies produced after a SARS-CoV-2 infection has been insufficiently investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels against the viral nucleocapsid- and spike-protein among Austrian blood donors as a representative group of a supposedly healthy population within the first year after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The impact of age, sex, vaccination status, AB0-blood group and awareness about the infection was evaluated. Our study shows that the level of anti-N antibodies is declining, while anti-S antibody levels remain stable. Antibodies detected were functional in vitro. Age, sex and blood group do not influence antibody dynamics. However, blood group AB shows significantly lower antibody levels and in vitro functionality compared to other blood groups. Our data reveal that one out of five individuals was not aware of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and that the disease course neither affects the level of antibody production nor the in vitro functionality. We also found that 14% of participants show persisting COVID-19-related symptoms for up to nine months. Our results provide valuable insights into the dynamics of the immune response after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in a representative cohort of adult blood donors in Central Europe.
