The strength of association between pre-and post-booster BNT162b2 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies levels depends on the immunoassay

Abstract

\n Objectives\n Reliable evidence suggests that anticipating humoral response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is essential for predicting their clinical effectiveness. In this work, we sought to establish if and to what extent the response of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies BNT162b2 booster measured with four different commercial immunoassays could be predicted after initial homologous vaccination.\n \n Methods\n This observational study enrolled 181 SARS-CoV-2 baseline seronegative healthcare workers (mean age 42±13 years; 59.7% females), who received two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine. Antibodies levels were assessed with Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S, ACCESS SARS-CoV-2 IgG II, Snibe S-RBD IgG and LIAISON SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG. The correlation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum antibodies 21 days after the first vaccine dose and 30 days after the second was assessed with Pearson s test.\n \n Results\n A significant correlation was found between serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies levels after the first (T1) and second (T2) BNT162b2 vaccine doses with all immunoassays, though the strength of such association depended on the immunoassay. Briefly, the highest correlation was found for LIAISON SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG (r=0.71), followed by ACCESS SARS-CoV-2 IgG II (r=0.65), Snibe S-RBD IgG (r=0.52), and then Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S (r=0.40).\n \n Conclusion\n The value of predicting post-booster values of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies levels from pre-booster levels significantly depends on the immunoassay used.\n