Journal Article

Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 escape neutralisation by omicron subvariant breakthrough infection

Sun, Wen-Kui, Zhang, Jin-Zhong, Gao, Hui-Xia, Wang, Xue-Jun, Li, Yi-Ke, Dai, Er-Hei, Zhu, Ka-Li, Wang, Guo-Lin, He, Xue-Juan, Huang, Peng-Xiang, Ma, Mai-Juan, Jiang, Xiao-Lin

2023

Overview

Additionally, BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/5, and BF.7 exhibited susceptibility to BA.2.76 breakthrough infection serum samples; however, BA.2.75 showed more resistance than BA.2 and BA.4/5 (figure E). [...]BA.2.75 is more resistant to breakthrough BF.7 infection neutralisation than BA.2 and BA.4/5. [...]comparisons showed that BA.5.1.2 breakthrough infections induced a broader antibody response against the tested subvariants and induced significantly higher geometric mean titres against BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 compared with delta, BA.1, BA.2.2, BA.2.76, or BF.7 breakthrough infections (figure; appendix p 7). Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 with increased resistance to neutralising antibodies can pose a challenge to immunity induced by vaccination or infection and render therapeutic monoclonal antibodies ineffective.3–6 Our results suggest that BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 extensively, but incompletely, escape omicron subvariant breakthrough infection neutralisation, including the most recent BA.5.1.2, BA.2.76, and BF.7 infections.

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Antibodies / Antibodies, Viral / Antibody response / Breakthrough Infections / Correspondence / Humans / Infections / Infectious diseases / Monoclonal antibodies / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Vaccination