Journal Article

Presence of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 plasma

West, John T., Lidenge, Salum J., Dean, Matthew J., Mwaiselage, Julius, Roberts, W. Mark, Ochoa, Augusto C., Bennett, Sydney J., Poppe, Lisa K., Ochoa, Juan B., Garcia-Diaz, Julia, Nossaman, Bobby, Tso, For Yue, Siedlik, Jacob A., Wood, Charles, Peña, Phoebe B., Ngowi, John R., Buckner, Lyndsey, Raine, Morgan A., Belshan, Michael, Privatt, Sara R.

2021

Overview

Neutralizing-antibody (nAb) is the major focus of most ongoing COVID-19 vaccine trials. However, nAb response against SARS-CoV-2, when present, decays rapidly. Given the myriad roles of antibodies in immune responses, it is possible that antibodies could also mediate protection against SARS-CoV-2 via effector mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), which we sought to explore here. Plasma of 3 uninfected controls and 20 subjects exposed to, or recovering from, SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected from U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies in the plasma samples. SARS-CoV-2 specific neutralizing capability of these plasmas was assessed with SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudotyped virus. ADCC activity was assessed with a calcein release assay. SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies were detected in all COVID-19 subjects studied. All but three COVID-19 subjects contained nAb at high potency (>80% neutralization). Plasma from 19/20 of COVID-19 subjects also demonstrated strong ADCC activity against SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, including two individuals without nAb against SARS-CoV-2. Both neutralizing and non-neutralizing COVID-19 plasmas can mediate ADCC. Our findings argue that evaluation of potential vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 should include investigation of the magnitude and durability of ADCC, in addition to nAb.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: 2-Mercaptoethanol / Adult / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Amino acids / Antibodies / Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood / Antibodies, Neutralizing - immunology / Antibodies, Viral - blood / Antibodies, Viral - immunology / Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Biochemistry / Biology and life sciences / Blood plasma / Cancer / CD16 antigen / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - blood / COVID-19 - immunology / Cytotoxicity / Degranulation / Editing / Effector cells / Epidemics / Female / Folic acid / Genetic aspects / Glutamine / Health aspects / Health care facilities / HEK293 Cells / Humans / Immunoglobulin G - blood / Immunoglobulin G - immunology / Immunology / Inositol / Internal medicine / Male / Medicine / Medicine and health sciences / Microbiology / Middle Aged / Natural killer cells / Oceans / Opsonization / Pandemics / Pediatrics / Perforin / Physiological aspects / Plasma / Prevention / Pyruvic acid / Research and Analysis Methods / Roads / SARS-CoV-2 - immunology / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Sodium / Sodium bicarbonate / Sodium pyruvate / Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - immunology / Surgery / Toxicity / United States / Vaccines / Viral diseases / Virology / Viruses / Visualization / Young Adult