Specific immunological characteristics and risk factor of XBB variants re-infection in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after BA.5 infection

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 597; p. 110142
• Main Authors: Lei, Yu, Xu, Nansong, Niu, Chuanying, Chen, Lu, Yu, Pei, Yan, Shuo, Wang, Feng, Mai, Xiaorui, Deng, Min, Mai, Weikang, Zeng, Jincheng, Zhang, Lei, Bo, Huaben, Xiong, Xiaoli, Chen, Hao, Ji, Tianxing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Viral - blood; BA.5 variant; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 - virology; COVID-19 Vaccines - administration & dosage; COVID-19 Vaccines - immunology; Female; Humans; Humoral immunity; Immunity, Humoral; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - genetics; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - immunology; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - virology; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - immunology; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - virology; Re-infection; Reinfection - immunology; Reinfection - virology; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Vaccines, Inactivated - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Inactivated - immunology; XBB.1.1.6 variant; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Re-infection; BA.5 variant; Humoral immunity; XBB.1.1.6 variant
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110142

The specific humoral immune response resulting from inactivated vaccination following by BA.5 infection, and predictors of XBB variants re-infection in BA.5 infection-recovered nasopharyngeal carcinoma (BA.5-RNPC) patients, were explored. Serum SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels were assessed using enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with the magnitude of specific humoral immunity and susceptibility to re-infection by XBB variants. Our data demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels were comparable between BA.5-RNPC patients and BA.5 infection-recovered-non-cancerous (BA.5-RNC) individuals. Specifically, serum levels of anti-ancestral-S1-IgG, anti-ancestral-nucleocapsid-protein (NP)-IgG, anti-BA.5-receptor binding domain (RBD)-IgG and anti-XBB.1.1.6-RBD-IgG were higher in BA.5-RNPC patients compared to those without a prior infection. Compared to BA.5-RNPC patients without vaccination, individuals who received inactivated vaccination exhibited significantly higher levels of anti-ancestral-S1-IgG and anti-XBB.1.16-RBD-IgG. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that inactivated vaccination was the most significant predictor of all tested SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies response. Subsequent analysis indicated that a low globulin level is an independent risk factor for XBB re-infection in BA.5-RNPC patients. The SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies have been improved in vaccinated BA.5-RNPC patients. However, the baseline immunity status biomarker IgG is an indicators of XBB variant re-infection risk in BA.5-RNPC patients. •Vaccinated NPC patients get improved anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after BA.5 infection.•Uninfected NPC patients have low humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants.•Vaccination is a crucial factor of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response in NPC patients.•Serum globulin level is an independent predictor of XBB reinfection in NPC patients.