Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-IgG throughout Three COVID-19 Vaccination Regimens: A 21-Month Longitudinal Study of 82 Norwegian Healthcare Workers

Viruses. 2023 Feb 23;15(3):619. doi: 10.3390/v15030619.

Abstract

To facilitate interpretation of clinical SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG analyses post-vaccination, 82 healthcare workers were followed through three vaccination-regimens: two regimens were comprised of two doses of BNT162b2 three or six weeks apart, followed by a dose of mRNA-vaccine, and in the other regimen, the first dose was replaced by ChAdOx1 nCov-19. After each dose, anti-spike IgG was compared between regimens. As many participants became infected, anti-spike IgG persistence was compared between infected and uninfected participants. Thirteen to twenty-one days after the first dose, seroconversion, and the median anti-spike IgG level in the ChAdOx1 group was significantly lower than in the BNT162b2 groups (23 versus 68 and 73 AU/mL). The second dose caused a significant increase in anti-spike IgG, but the median level was lower in the BNT162b2-short-interval group (280 AU/mL), compared to the BNT162b2-long-interval (1075 AU/mL) and ChAdOx1 (1160 AU/mL) group. After the third dose, all groups showed increases to similar anti-spike IgG levels (2075-2390 AU/mL). Over the next half year, anti-spike IgG levels declined significantly in all groups, but appeared to persist longer after post-vaccination infection. This is the first three-dose study with one dose of ChAdOx1. Despite initial differences, all vaccine regimens gave similarly high antibody levels and persistence after the third dose.

Keywords: BNT162b2; ChAdOx1 nCoV-19; Liaison S1/S2-IgG; SARS-CoV-2 serology; antibody decline; spike.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • BNT162 Vaccine*
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • BNT162 Vaccine
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Department of Microbiology and Infection Control University Hospital of North Norway, 9038-Tromsø, Norway.