TY - JOUR
T1 - Recent infection with HCoV-OC43 may be associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection
AU - Lavell, A H Ayesha
AU - Sikkens, Jonne J
AU - Edridge, Arthur W D
AU - van der Straten, Karlijn
AU - Sechan, Ferdyansyah
AU - Oomen, Melissa
AU - Buis, David T P
AU - Schinkel, Michiel
AU - Burger, Judith A
AU - Poniman, Meliawati
AU - van Rijswijk, Jacqueline
AU - de Jong, Menno D
AU - de Bree, Godelieve J
AU - Peters, Edgar J G
AU - Smulders, Yvo M
AU - Sanders, Rogier W
AU - van Gils, Marit J
AU - van der Hoek, Lia
AU - Bomers, Marije K
N1 - Funding Information: We thank the Amsterdam UMC health care workers that took time to participate, and everyone assisting with sampling and otherwise enabling this study during those busy first pandemic months. We also thank Alex Schuurman, Tom Reijnders, Justin de Brabander, Adinda Pijpers, Esmee Das, Nikita Borstlap, and Lisa Urlings for their essential help in collecting the study data and Birgit Lissenberg for advice on statistical analysis. We acknowledge the GRACE network (LSHM-CT-2005-518226), especially the Work Package 9 Study on the etiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of lower respiratory tract infections in primary care. We thank the principal investigators, the study participants, and other contributors of the GRACE study, with special credits for Herman Goossens, Katherine Loens, Margareta Ieven and Theo J.M. Verheij. This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development ZonMw (S3 study, grant agreement no. 10430022010023 to M.K.B.) and the Corona Research Fund Amsterdam UMC . Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/10/21
Y1 - 2022/10/21
N2 - Antibodies against seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are known to cross-react with SARS-CoV-2, but data on cross-protective effects of prior HCoV infections are conflicting. In a prospective cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs), we studied the association between seasonal HCoV (OC43, HKU1, 229E and NL63) nucleocapsid protein IgG and SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first pandemic wave in the Netherlands (March 2020 - June 2020), by 4-weekly serum sampling. HCW with HCoV-OC43 antibody levels in the highest quartile, were less likely to become SARS-CoV-2 seropositive when compared with those with lower levels (6/32, 18.8%, versus 42/97, 43.3%, respectively: p = 0.019; HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.88). We found no significant association with HCoV-OC43 spike protein IgG, or with antibodies against other HCoVs. Our results indicate that the high levels of HCoV-OC43-nucleocapsid antibodies, as an indicator of a recent infection, are associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection; this supports and informs efforts to develop pancoronavirus vaccines.
AB - Antibodies against seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are known to cross-react with SARS-CoV-2, but data on cross-protective effects of prior HCoV infections are conflicting. In a prospective cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs), we studied the association between seasonal HCoV (OC43, HKU1, 229E and NL63) nucleocapsid protein IgG and SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first pandemic wave in the Netherlands (March 2020 - June 2020), by 4-weekly serum sampling. HCW with HCoV-OC43 antibody levels in the highest quartile, were less likely to become SARS-CoV-2 seropositive when compared with those with lower levels (6/32, 18.8%, versus 42/97, 43.3%, respectively: p = 0.019; HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.88). We found no significant association with HCoV-OC43 spike protein IgG, or with antibodies against other HCoVs. Our results indicate that the high levels of HCoV-OC43-nucleocapsid antibodies, as an indicator of a recent infection, are associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection; this supports and informs efforts to develop pancoronavirus vaccines.
KW - Immunology
KW - Molecular physiology
KW - Virology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138540612&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105105
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105105
M3 - Article
C2 - 36101832
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 25
SP - 105105
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 10
M1 - 105105
ER -