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Amjadi MF, Parker MH, Adyniec RR, Zheng Z, Robbins AM, Bashar SJ, Denny MF, McCoy SS, Ong IM, Shelef MA. Novel and unique rheumatoid factors cross-react with viral epitopes in COVID-19. J Autoimmun 2024; 142:103132. [PMID: 37956528 PMCID: PMC10957334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2023.103132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Rheumatoid factors (RFs), polyreactive antibodies canonically known to bind two conformational epitopes of IgG Fc, are a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis but also can arise in other inflammatory conditions and infections. Also, infections may contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Recently, RFs only in rheumatoid arthritis were found to bind novel linear IgG epitopes as well as thousands of other rheumatoid arthritis autoantigens. Specific epitopes recognized by infection-induced polyreactive RFs remain undefined but could provide insights into loss of immune tolerance. Here, we identified novel linear IgG epitopes bound by RFs in COVID-19 but not rheumatoid arthritis or other conditions. The main COVID-19 RF was polyreactive, binding two IgG and multiple viral peptides with a tripeptide motif, as well as IgG Fc and SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. In contrast, a rheumatoid arthritis-specific RF recognized IgG Fc, but not tripeptide motif-containing peptides or spike. Thus, RFs have disease-specific IgG reactivity and distinct polyreactivities that reflect the broader immune response. Moreover, the polyreactivity of a virus-induced RF appears to be attributable to a very short peptide motif. These findings refine our understanding of RFs and provide new insights into how viral infections may contribute to autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya F Amjadi
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Maxwell H Parker
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ryan R Adyniec
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Zihao Zheng
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Alex M Robbins
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - S Janna Bashar
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael F Denny
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sara S McCoy
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Irene M Ong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Miriam A Shelef
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
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Amjadi MF, Adyniec RR, Gupta S, Bashar SJ, Mergaert AM, Braun KM, Moreno GK, O’Connor DH, Friedrich TC, Safdar N, McCoy SS, Shelef MA. Anti-membrane Antibodies Persist at Least One Year and Discriminate Between Past Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection and Vaccination. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:1897-1902. [PMID: 35758987 PMCID: PMC9278254 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The consequences of past coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection for personal and population health are emerging, but accurately identifying distant infection is a challenge. Anti-spike antibodies rise after both vaccination and infection and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies rapidly decline. METHODS We evaluated anti-membrane antibodies in COVID-19 naive, vaccinated, and convalescent subjects to determine if they persist and accurately detect distant infection. RESULTS We found that anti-membrane antibodies persist for at least 1 year and are a sensitive and specific marker of past COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS Thus, anti-membrane and anti-spike antibodies together can differentiate between COVID-19 convalescent, vaccinated, and naive states to advance public health and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya F Amjadi
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Ryan R Adyniec
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Srishti Gupta
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - S Janna Bashar
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Aisha M Mergaert
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Katarina M Braun
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, UW-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Gage K Moreno
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - David H O’Connor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | | | - Nasia Safdar
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Sara S McCoy
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
| | - Miriam A Shelef
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, Madison, 53705USA
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, 53705USA
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Amjadi MF, Adyniec RR, Gupta S, Bashar SJ, Mergaert AM, Braun KM, Moreno GK, O'Connor DH, Friedrich TC, Safdar N, McCoy SS, Shelef MA. Anti-membrane and anti-spike antibodies are long-lasting and together discriminate between past COVID-19 infection and vaccination. medRxiv 2021:2021.11.02.21265750. [PMID: 34790984 PMCID: PMC8597887 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.02.21265750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of past COVID-19 infection for personal health and long-term population immunity are only starting to be revealed. Unfortunately, detecting past infection is currently a challenge, limiting clinical and research endeavors. Widely available anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests cannot differentiate between past infection and vaccination given vaccine-induced anti-spike antibodies and the rapid loss of infection-induced anti-nucleocapsid antibodies. Anti-membrane antibodies develop after COVID-19, but their long-term persistence is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that anti-membrane IgG is a sensitive and specific marker of past COVID-19 infection and persists at least one year. We also confirm that anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) Ig is a long-lasting, sensitive, and specific marker of past infection and vaccination, while anti-nucleocapsid IgG lacks specificity and quickly declines after COVID-19. Thus, a combination of anti-membrane and anti-RBD antibodies can accurately differentiate between distant COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and naïve states to advance public health, individual healthcare, and research goals.
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