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Nantambi H, Sembera J, Ankunda V, Ssali I, Kalyebi AW, Oluka GK, Kato L, Ubaldo B, Kibengo F, Katende JS, Gombe B, Baine C, Odoch G, Mugaba S, Sande OJ, Kaleebu P, Serwanga J. Pre-pandemic SARS-CoV-2-specific IFN-γ and antibody responses were low in Ugandan samples and significantly reduced in HIV-positive specimens. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148877. [PMID: 37153598 PMCID: PMC10154590 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction We investigated whether prior SARS-CoV-2-specific IFN-γ and antibody responses in Ugandan COVID-19 pre-pandemic specimens aligned to this population's low disease severity. Methods We used nucleoprotein (N), spike (S), NTD, RBD, envelope, membrane, SD1/2-directed IFN-γ ELISpots, and an S- and N-IgG antibody ELISA to screen for SARS-CoV-2-specific cross-reactivity. Results HCoV-OC43-, HCoV-229E-, and SARS-CoV-2-specific IFN-γ occurred in 23, 15, and 17 of 104 specimens, respectively. Cross-reactive IgG was more common against the nucleoprotein (7/110, 15.5%; p = 0.0016, Fishers' Exact) than the spike (3/110, 2.72%). Specimens lacking anti-HuCoV antibodies had higher rates of pre-epidemic SARS-CoV-2-specific IFN-γ cross-reactivity (p-value = 0.00001, Fishers' exact test), suggesting that exposure to additional factors not examined here might play a role. SARS-CoV-2-specific cross-reactive antibodies were significantly less common in HIV-positive specimens (p=0.017; Fishers' Exact test). Correlations between SARS-CoV-2- and HuCoV-specific IFN-γ responses were consistently weak in both HIV negative and positive specimens. Discussion These findings support the existence of pre-epidemic SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular and humoral cross-reactivity in this population. The data do not establish that these virus-specific IFN-γ and antibody responses are entirely specific to SARS-CoV-2. Inability of the antibodies to neutralise SARS-CoV-2 implies that prior exposure did not result in immunity. Correlations between SARS-CoV-2 and HuCoV-specific responses were consistently weak, suggesting that additional variables likely contributed to the pre-epidemic cross-reactivity patterns. The data suggests that surveillance efforts based on the nucleoprotein might overestimate the exposure to SARS-CoV-2 compared to inclusion of additional targets, like the spike protein. This study, while limited in scope, suggests that HIV-positive people are less likely than HIV-negative people to produce protective antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hellen Nantambi
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jackson Sembera
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Violet Ankunda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Ivan Ssali
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Arthur Watelo Kalyebi
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Gerald Kevin Oluka
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Laban Kato
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Bahemuka Ubaldo
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Freddie Kibengo
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Joseph Ssebwana Katende
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Ben Gombe
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Claire Baine
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Geoffrey Odoch
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Susan Mugaba
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Obondo James Sande
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - The COVID-19 Immunoprofiling Team
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Pontiano Kaleebu
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Jennifer Serwanga
- Medical Research Council (MRC), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
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