Passive antibody transfer from pregnant women to their fetus are maximized after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination irrespective of prior infection

Cody J. Lauritsen, BA; Ivy V. Trinh, BS; Srushti P. Desai, MD; Erin Clancey, PhD; Amelie E. Murrell, BS; Saraswatie Rambaran, BS; Sruti Chandra, PhD; Debra H. Elliott, BS; Ashley R. Smira, BS; Zhiyin Mo, MS; Addison E. Stone, BS; Ayitevi Agbodji, MD; Courtney M. Dugas, MPH; Ryousuke Satou, PhD; Gabriella Pridjian, MD; Sherri Longo, MD; Sylvia H. Ley, PhD; James E. Robinson, MD; Elizabeth B. Norton, PhD; Giovanni Piedimonte, MD; Bronwyn M. Gunn, PhD

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global (Feb 2024)

Passive antibody transfer from pregnant women to their fetus are maximized after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination irrespective of prior infection

Cody J. Lauritsen, BA,
Ivy V. Trinh, BS,
Srushti P. Desai, MD,
Erin Clancey, PhD,
Amelie E. Murrell, BS,
Saraswatie Rambaran, BS,
Sruti Chandra, PhD,
Debra H. Elliott, BS,
Ashley R. Smira, BS,
Zhiyin Mo, MS,
Addison E. Stone, BS,
Ayitevi Agbodji, MD,
Courtney M. Dugas, MPH,
Ryousuke Satou, PhD,
Gabriella Pridjian, MD,
Sherri Longo, MD,
Sylvia H. Ley, PhD,
James E. Robinson, MD,
Elizabeth B. Norton, PhD,
Giovanni Piedimonte, MD,
Bronwyn M. Gunn, PhD

Affiliations

Cody J. Lauritsen, BA: Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash
Ivy V. Trinh, BS: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Srushti P. Desai, MD: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Erin Clancey, PhD: Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash
Amelie E. Murrell, BS: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Saraswatie Rambaran, BS: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Sruti Chandra, PhD: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Debra H. Elliott, BS: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Ashley R. Smira, BS: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Zhiyin Mo, MS: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, La
Addison E. Stone, BS: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Ayitevi Agbodji, MD: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Courtney M. Dugas, MPH: Department of Physiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Ryousuke Satou, PhD: Department of Physiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Gabriella Pridjian, MD: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Sherri Longo, MD: Ochsner Baptist Medical Center, New Orleans, La
Sylvia H. Ley, PhD: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, La
James E. Robinson, MD: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La
Elizabeth B. Norton, PhD: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La; Elizabeth Norton, MPH, PhD, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 1430 Tulane Ave 8638, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Giovanni Piedimonte, MD: Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La; Giovanni Piedimonte, MD, Departments of Pediatrics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology, 1430 Tulane Ave, Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Bronwyn M. Gunn, PhD: Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash; Corresponding authors: Bronwyn M. Gunn, PhD, PO Box 647090, Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7090.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 3, no. 1
p. 100189

Abstract

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Background: Pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of adverse symptoms and outcomes for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection for both mother and neonate. Antibodies can provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and are induced in pregnant women after vaccination or infection. Passive transfer of these antibodies from mother to fetus in utero may provide protection to the neonate against infection. However, it is unclear whether the magnitude or quality and kinetics of maternally derived fetal antibodies differs in the context of maternal infection or vaccination. Objective: We aimed to determine whether antibodies transferred from maternal to fetus differed in quality or quantity between infection- or vaccination-induced humoral immune responses. Methods: We evaluated 93 paired maternal and neonatal umbilical cord blood plasma samples collected between October 2020 and February 2022 from a birth cohort of pregnant women from New Orleans, Louisiana, with histories of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination. Plasma was profiled for the levels of spike-specific antibodies and induction of antiviral humoral immune functions, including neutralization and Fc-mediated innate immune effector functions. Responses were compared between 4 groups according to maternal infection and vaccination. Results: We found that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or infection during pregnancy increased the levels of antiviral antibodies compared to naive subjects. Vaccinated mothers and cord samples had the highest anti-spike antibody levels and antiviral function independent of the time of vaccination during pregnancy. Conclusions: These results show that the most effective passive transfer of functional antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in utero is achieved through vaccination, highlighting the importance of vaccination in pregnant women.

Published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global

ISSN: 2772-8293 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Immunologic diseases. Allergy
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-allergy-and-clinical-immunology-global

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