Antibody responses to common viruses according to COVID-19 severity and postacute sequelae of COVID-19

J Med Virol. 2024 Sep;96(9):e29862. doi: 10.1002/jmv.29862.

Abstract

Limited research suggests that certain viruses reactivate in severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-coronavirus 2 infection, contributing to the development of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). We examined 1083 infected individuals from a population-based cohort, and assessed differences in plasma immunoglobulin (Ig)G and immunoglobulin A levels against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus (VZV), BK polyomavirus, KI polyomavirus, WU polyomavirus (WUPyV), respiratory syncytial virus, and Adv-36 according to the severity of previous COVID-19 and PASC history. Individuals who had experienced severe COVID-19 had higher antibody responses to latent viruses. Ever PASC, active persistent PASC, and PASC with neuropsychiatric symptoms were associated with higher immnoglobulin G to EBV early antigen-diffuse, VZV, and WUPyV even among individuals without previous severe COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID‐19; herpesviruses; long COVID; polyomaviruses; postacute sequelae of COVID‐19.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Viral* / blood
  • Antibody Formation
  • COVID-19* / immunology
  • COVID-19* / virology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G* / blood
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin A