Combined kinetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, N-antigenemia and virus-specific antibodies in critically ill adult COVID-19 patients

Combined kinetic analysis of plasma SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Nucleocapsid (N)-antigenemia and virus-specific antibodies may help ascertain the role of antibodies in preventing virus dissemination in COVID-19 patients. We performed this analysis in a cohort of 71 consecutive critically ill COVID-19 patients (49 male; median age, 65 years) using RT-PCR assay, lateral flow immunochromatography method and receptor binding domain (RBD) and N-based immunoassays. A total of 338 plasma specimens collected at a median of 12 days after symptoms onset were available for analyses. SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia and N-antigenemia were detected in 37 and 43 specimens from 26 (36.5%) and 30 (42.2%) patients, respectively. Free RNA was the main biological form of SARS-CoV-2 found in plasma. The detection rate for both viral components was associated with viral load at the upper respiratory tract. Median time to SARS-CoV-2-RBD antibody detection was 14 days (range, 4-38) from onset of symptoms. Decreasing antibody levels were observed in parallel to increasing levels of both RNAemia and N-antigenemia, yet overall a fairly modest inverse correlation (Rho = -0.35; P < 0.001) was seen between virus RNAemia and SARS-CoV-2-RBD antibody levels. The data cast doubts on a major involvement of antibodies in virus clearance from the bloodstream within the timeframe examined.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Costa, Rosa, Alberola, Juan, Olea, Beatriz, Gozalbo-Rovira, Roberto, Giménez, Estela, Cuevas Ferrando, Enric, de la Torre Sainz, Ignacio, Albert, Eliseo, Carbonell, Nieves, Ferreres, José, Sánchez Moragas, Gloria, Rodríguez-Díaz, Jesús, Blasco, María Luisa, Navarro, David
Format: artículo biblioteca
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2022-05-18
Subjects:COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, RNAemia, Antibodies, Patients, Critical Illness,
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/271609
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