Vaccines (Mar 2021)
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is Asymptomatic in Nearly Half of Adults with Robust Anti-Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain Antibody Response
- Ourania E. Tsitsilonis,
- Dimitrios Paraskevis,
- Evi Lianidou,
- Evangelos Terpos,
- Athanasios Akalestos,
- Vassilios Pierros,
- Evangelia Georgia Kostaki,
- Efstathios Kastritis,
- Paraskevi Moutsatsou,
- Marianna Politou,
- Andreas Scorilas,
- Thomas Sphicopoulos,
- Nikolaos Thomaidis,
- Ioannis P. Trougakos,
- Athanassios Tsakris,
- Nikolaos Voulgaris,
- Christina C. Daskalaki,
- Zoi Evangelakou,
- Christina Fouki,
- Despoina D. Gianniou,
- Sentiljana Gumeni,
- Ioannis V. Kostopoulos,
- Maria S. Manola,
- Nikolaos Orologas-Stavrou,
- Chrysanthi Panteli,
- Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou,
- Pantelis Rousakis,
- Aimilia D. Sklirou,
- Stavroula Smilkou,
- Dimitra Stergiopoulou,
- Sotirios Tsiodras,
- Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos,
- Petros P. Sfikakis
Affiliations
- Ourania E. Tsitsilonis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, NKUA, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Evi Lianidou
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, 15771 Athens, Greece
- Evangelos Terpos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Alexandra General Hospital, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Athanasios Akalestos
- Roche Diagnostics (Hellas) S.A., Marousi, 15125 Athens, Greece
- Vassilios Pierros
- Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, NKUA, 15784 Athens, Greece
- Evangelia Georgia Kostaki
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, NKUA, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Efstathios Kastritis
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Alexandra General Hospital, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Paraskevi Moutsatsou
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, NKUA, 12462 Haidari, Greece
- Marianna Politou
- Hematology Laboratory-Blood Bank, Aretaieio Hospital, School of Medicine, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Andreas Scorilas
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Thomas Sphicopoulos
- Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, NKUA, 15784 Athens, Greece
- Nikolaos Thomaidis
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, 15771 Athens, Greece
- Ioannis P. Trougakos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Athanassios Tsakris
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, NKUA, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Nikolaos Voulgaris
- Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, NKUA, 15784 Athens, Greece
- Christina C. Daskalaki
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Zoi Evangelakou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Christina Fouki
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, NKUA, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Despoina D. Gianniou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Sentiljana Gumeni
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Ioannis V. Kostopoulos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Maria S. Manola
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Nikolaos Orologas-Stavrou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Chrysanthi Panteli
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Pantelis Rousakis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Aimilia D. Sklirou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Stavroula Smilkou
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, 15771 Athens, Greece
- Dimitra Stergiopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, 15771 Athens, Greece
- Sotirios Tsiodras
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University Hospital Attikon, NKUA, 12462 Haidari, Greece
- Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Alexandra General Hospital, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Petros P. Sfikakis
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, NKUA, 15772 Athens, Greece
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9030207
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9,
no. 3
p. 207
Abstract
Between June and November 2020, we assessed plasma antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein in 4996 participants (aged 18–82 years, 34.5% men) from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The weighted overall prevalence was 1.6% and monthly prevalence correlated with viral RNA-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in Greece, in the same period. Notably, 49% of seropositive cases reported no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection-related clinical symptoms and 33% were unsuspected of their previous infection. Additionally, levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies against the spike-protein receptor-binding domain were similar between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, irrespective of age and gender. Using Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization-approved assays, these results support the need for such studies on pandemic evaluation and highlight the development of robust humoral immune responses even among asymptomatic individuals. The high percentage of unsuspected/asymptomatic active cases, which may contribute to community transmission for more days than that of cases who are aware and self-isolate, underscores the necessity of measures across the population for the efficient control of the pandemic.
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