Ugwu, Chinedu A., Alao, Oluwasina, John, Oluwagboadurami G., Akinnawo, Blossom, Ajayi, Israel, Odebode, Ooreofe, Bejide, Ifeoluwa, Campbell, Allan, Campbell, Julian, Adole, Jolly A., and others. (2024) Immunological insights into COVID-19 in Southern Nigeria. Frontiers in Immunology, 15 . Article Number 1305586. ISSN 1664-3224. (doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1305586) (KAR id:104756)
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| Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1305586 |
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Abstract
Introduction: One of the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic was the relatively low levels of morbidity and mortality in Africa compared to the rest of the world. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, accounted for less than 0.01% of the global COVID-19 fatalities. The factors responsible for Nigeria's relatively low loss of life due to COVID-19 are unknown. Also, the correlates of protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and the impact of pre-existing immunity on the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa are yet to be elucidated. Here, we evaluated the natural and vaccine-induced immune responses from vaccinated, non-vaccinated and convalescent individuals in Southern Nigeria throughout the three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. We also examined the pre-existing immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 from samples collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We used spike RBD and N- IgG antibody ELISA to measure binding antibody responses, SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype assay protocol expressing the spike protein of different variants (D614G, Delta, Beta, Omicron BA1) to measure neutralizing antibody responses and nucleoprotein (N) and spike (S1, S2) direct ex vivo interferon gamma (IFNγ) T cell ELISpot to measure T cell responses.
Result: Our study demonstrated a similar magnitude of both binding (N-IgG (74% and 62%), S-RBD IgG (70% and 53%) and neutralizing (D614G (49% and 29%), Delta (56% and 47%), Beta (48% and 24%), Omicron BA1 (41% and 21%)) antibody responses from symptomatic and asymptomatic survivors in Nigeria. A similar magnitude was also seen among vaccinated participants. Interestingly, we revealed the presence of preexisting binding antibodies (N-IgG (60%) and S-RBD IgG (44%)) but no neutralizing antibodies from samples collected prior to the pandemic.
Discussion: These findings revealed that both vaccinated, non-vaccinated and convalescent individuals in Southern Nigeria make similar magnitude of both binding and cross-reactive neutralizing antibody responses. It supported the presence of preexisting binding antibody responses among some Nigerians prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, hybrid immunity and heterologous vaccine boosting induced the strongest binding and broadly neutralizing antibody responses compared to vaccine or infection-acquired immunity alone.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| DOI/Identification number: | 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1305586 |
| Additional information: | For the purpose of open access, the author(s) has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising. |
| Subjects: | Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR355 Virology |
| Divisions: | Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Medway School of Pharmacy |
| Funders: | Medical Research Council (https://ror.org/03x94j517) |
| Depositing User: | Nigel Temperton |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jan 2024 15:51 UTC |
| Last Modified: | 27 Feb 2024 11:52 UTC |
| Resource URI: | https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/104756 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
University of Kent Author Information
Temperton, Nigel J..
| Creator's ORCID: |
 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7978-3815
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