1 . 2023

Humoral immune response to linear and conformational epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19

AbstractIntroduction. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), spread all over the world and changed our daily lives. Although SARS-CoV-2 does not have a high lethality compared to other viruses such as virus of atypical pneumonia or Ebola virus, it has nevertheless led to the development of a pandemic and a very high numbers of deaths from the infection in the last 20 years. Antibodies against structural proteins, primarily to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2, play a main role in the elimination of the virus from the body.

Aim – analysis of the humoral immune response of patients with COVID-19 at the level of IgG antibodies to linear and conformational epitopes of the main structural proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 –nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins.

Material and methods. Using Western blot and enzyme immunoassay, IgG binding from the sera of 153 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and conducted a correlation analysis with demographic and clinical indicators.

Results. Direct correlations were found between the values of the coefficient of positivity (CP) of antibodies to the N protein and RBD and the age of the patient, the patient’s need for oxygen and arterial hypertension. We have shown that the greater the CP value of IgG antibodies to the RBD domain of the S protein the faster the recovery occurs, which confirms the role of the RBD domain as a target for the protective immune response.

Conclusion. The study showed that in order to understand the course of the COVID-19 disease, predict the development of a prolonged form in a patient, and possible complications, such as switching to artificial lung ventilation, it is necessary not only to qualitatively but also quantitatively analyze the values of the CP of IgG antibodies to conformational and linear epitopes of the N and S proteins of the SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords:COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; diagnostics; antibodies; immunoglobulins

For citation: Shokina V.A., Matyushkina D.M., Krivonos D.V., Manuvera V.A., Shirokov D.A., Kharlampieva D.D., Lazarev V.N., Pavlenko A.V., Ilina E.N., Rumyantsev A.G., Rumyantsev S.A., Ivanov K.P., Khromova P.A., Baklaushev V.P., Koritsky A.V., Kuropatkin V.A., Moskaleva E.V., Ogarkov O.B., Orlova E.A., Petrova A.G., Pozhenko N.S., Pushkar D.Yu., Kolontarev K.B., Kolyshkina N.A., Rychkova L.V., Samoilov A.S., Sinkov V.V., Solovieva S.V., Troitsky A.V., Udalov Yu.D., Yusubalieva G.M., Govorun V.M. Humoral immune response to linear and conformational epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19. Immunologiya. 2023; 44 (1): 38–52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/0206-4952-2023-44-1-38-52 (in Russian)

Funding. The study was supported by the State task No. 122030900051-9 of the Rospotrebnadzor «Creation of an industry platform foтаблr assessing the protectiveness of antigens and potential vaccine preparations».

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Authors’ contribution. The concept and design of the study – Govorun V.M., Matyushkina D.S.; performing experiments – Shokina V.A., Manuvera V.A., Shirokov D.A., Kharlampieva D.D., Lazarev V.N.; collection of biological samples – Pavlenko A.V., Ilyina E.N., Rumyantsev A.G., Rumyantsev S.A., Ivanov K.P., Khromova P.A., Baklaushev V.P., Koritsky A.V., Kuropatkin V.A., Moskaleva E.V., Ogarkov O.B., Orlova E.A., Petrova A.G., Pozhenko N.S., Pushkar D.Yu., Kolontarev K.B., Kolyshkina N.A., Rychkova L.V., Samoilov A.S., Sinkov V.V., Solovieva S.V., Troitsky A.V., Udalov Yu.D., Yusubalieva G.M.; statistical processing – Krivonos D.V.; draft writing, editing – Shokina V.A., Matyushkina D.S.; the final version and the integrity of the text – Matyushkina D.S.

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