Publication: Is there a link between pre-existing antibodies acquired due to childhood vaccinations or past infections and COVID-19? A case control study
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Date
2021-02-01T00:00:00Z
Authors
Authors
SÜMBÜL, BİLGE
Sumbul, Hilmi Erdem
OKYAY, RAMAZAN AZİM
Gulumsek, Erdinc
ŞAHİN, AHMET RIZA
Boral, Baris
Kocyigit, Burhan Fatih
Alfishawy, Mostafa
Gold, Jeffrey
Tasdogan, Ali Muhittin
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Abstract
Background: There is growing evidence indicating that children are less affected from COVID-19. Some authors speculate that childhood vaccinations may provide some cross-protection against COVID-19. In this study, our aim was to compare the circulating antibody titers for multiple childhood vaccine antigens, as an indicator of the state of immune memory between patients with COVID-19 and healthy controls, with a specific aim to identify the association between disease severity and antibody titrations which may indicate a protective function related to vaccine or disease induced memory.
Methods: This study is a case-control study including 53 patients with COVID-19 and 40 healthy volunteers. COVID-19 severity was divided into three groups: asymptomatic, mild and severe. We measured the same set of antibody titers for vaccine antigens, and a set of biochemical and infection markers, in both the case and control groups.
Results: Rubella (p = 0.003), pneumococcus (p = 0.002), and Bordetella pertussis (p < 0.0001) titers were found to be significantly lower in the case group than the control group. There was a significant decline in pneumococcus titers with severity of disease (p = 0.021) and a significant association with disease severity for Bordetella pertussis titers (p = 0.014) among COVID patients. Levels of AST, procalcitonin, ferritin and D-dimer significantly increased with the disease severity.
Discussion: Our study supports the hypothesis that pre-existing immune memory, as monitored using circulating antibodies, acquired from childhood vaccinations, or past infections confer some protection against COVID-19. Randomized controlled studies are needed to support a definitive conclusion
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Keywords
COVID-19, Cross-protection, Pandemic, Antibody titers
Citation
SÜMBÜL B., Sumbul H. E. , OKYAY R. A. , Gulumsek E., ŞAHİN A. R. , Boral B., Kocyigit B. F. , Alfishawy M., Gold J., Tasdogan A. M. , -Is there a link between pre-existing antibodies acquired due to childhood vaccinations or past infections and COVID-19? A case control study-, PEERJ, cilt.9, 2021