Viruses (Nov 2021)
Cross-Reactive Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV in Pre-COVID-19 Blood Samples from Sierra Leoneans
- Rodrigo Borrega,
- Diana K. S. Nelson,
- Anatoliy P. Koval,
- Nell G. Bond,
- Megan L. Heinrich,
- Megan M. Rowland,
- Raju Lathigra,
- Duane J. Bush,
- Irina Aimukanova,
- Whitney N. Phinney,
- Sophia A. Koval,
- Andrew R. Hoffmann,
- Allison R. Smither,
- Antoinette R. Bell-Kareem,
- Lilia I. Melnik,
- Kaylynn J. Genemaras,
- Karissa Chao,
- Patricia Snarski,
- Alexandra B. Melton,
- Jaikin E. Harrell,
- Ashley A. Smira,
- Debra H. Elliott,
- Julie A. Rouelle,
- Gilberto Sabino-Santos,
- Arnaud C. Drouin,
- Mambu Momoh,
- John Demby Sandi,
- Augustine Goba,
- Robert J. Samuels,
- Lansana Kanneh,
- Michael Gbakie,
- Zoe L. Branco,
- Jeffrey G. Shaffer,
- John S. Schieffelin,
- James E. Robinson,
- Dahlene N. Fusco,
- Pardis C. Sabeti,
- Kristian G. Andersen,
- Donald S. Grant,
- Matthew L. Boisen,
- Luis M. Branco,
- Robert F. Garry
Affiliations
- Rodrigo Borrega
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Diana K. S. Nelson
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Broomfield, CO 80045, USA
- Anatoliy P. Koval
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Nell G. Bond
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Megan L. Heinrich
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Megan M. Rowland
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Raju Lathigra
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Duane J. Bush
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Broomfield, CO 80045, USA
- Irina Aimukanova
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Broomfield, CO 80045, USA
- Whitney N. Phinney
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Broomfield, CO 80045, USA
- Sophia A. Koval
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Andrew R. Hoffmann
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Allison R. Smither
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Antoinette R. Bell-Kareem
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Lilia I. Melnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Kaylynn J. Genemaras
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Karissa Chao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Patricia Snarski
- Heart and Vascular Institute, John W. Deming Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Alexandra B. Melton
- Department of Microbiology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
- Jaikin E. Harrell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Ashley A. Smira
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Debra H. Elliott
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Julie A. Rouelle
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Gilberto Sabino-Santos
- Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Arnaud C. Drouin
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Mambu Momoh
- Eastern Polytechnic Institute, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- John Demby Sandi
- Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Augustine Goba
- Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Robert J. Samuels
- Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Lansana Kanneh
- Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Michael Gbakie
- Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Zoe L. Branco
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Jeffrey G. Shaffer
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- John S. Schieffelin
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- James E. Robinson
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Dahlene N. Fusco
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Pardis C. Sabeti
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Kristian G. Andersen
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Donald S. Grant
- Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Matthew L. Boisen
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Broomfield, CO 80045, USA
- Luis M. Branco
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- Robert F. Garry
- Zalgen Labs, LCC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112325
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 13,
no. 11
p. 2325
Abstract
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced lower COVID-19 caseloads and fewer deaths than countries in other regions worldwide. Under-reporting of cases and a younger population could partly account for these differences, but pre-existing immunity to coronaviruses is another potential factor. Blood samples from Sierra Leonean Lassa fever and Ebola survivors and their contacts collected before the first reported COVID-19 cases were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the presence of antibodies binding to proteins of coronaviruses that infect humans. Results were compared to COVID-19 subjects and healthy blood donors from the United States. Prior to the pandemic, Sierra Leoneans had more frequent exposures than Americans to coronaviruses with epitopes that cross-react with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), SARS-CoV, and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The percentage of Sierra Leoneans with antibodies reacting to seasonal coronaviruses was also higher than for American blood donors. Serological responses to coronaviruses by Sierra Leoneans did not differ by age or sex. Approximately a quarter of Sierra Leonian pre-pandemic blood samples had neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, while about a third neutralized MERS-CoV pseudovirus. Prior exposures to coronaviruses that induce cross-protective immunity may contribute to reduced COVID-19 cases and deaths in Sierra Leone.
Keywords
- COVID-19 caseloads and deaths
- sub-Saharan Africa
- pre-existing immunity to coronaviruses
- recombinant antigens
- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays
- pseudovirus neutralizing antibodies
