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Pedersen J, Koumakpayi IH, Babuadze G, Baz M, Ndiaye O, Faye O, Diagne CT, Dia N, Naghibosadat M, McGeer A, Muberaka S, Moukandja IP, Ndidi S, Tauil CB, Lekana-Douki JB, Loucoubar C, Faye O, Sall A, Magalhães KG, Weis N, Kozak R, Kobinger GP, Fausther-Bovendo H. Cross-reactive immunity against SARS-CoV-2 N protein in Central and West Africa precedes the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12962. [PMID: 35902675 PMCID: PMC9333058 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17241-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Early predictions forecasted large numbers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) cases and associated deaths in Africa. To date, Africa has been relatively spared. Various hypotheses were postulated to explain the lower than anticipated impact on public health in Africa. However, the contribution of pre-existing immunity is yet to be investigated. In this study, the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins in pre-pandemic samples from Africa, Europe, South and North America was examined by ELISA. The protective efficacy of N specific antibodies isolated from Central African donors was tested by in vitro neutralization and in a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S and N proteins were rare in all populations except in Gabon and Senegal where N specific antibodies were prevalent. However, these antibodies failed to neutralize the virus either in vitro or in vivo. Overall, this study indicates that cross-reactive immunity against SARS-CoV-2 N protein was present in Africa prior to the pandemic. However, this pre-existing humoral immunity does not impact viral fitness in rodents suggesting that other human immune defense mechanisms could be involved. In Africa, seroprevalence studies using the N protein are over-estimating SARS-CoV-2 circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannie Pedersen
- Département de Microbiologie-Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | | | - Giorgi Babuadze
- Biological Sciences Platform, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Research Institute at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mariana Baz
- Département de Microbiologie-Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | | | - Oumar Faye
- Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Ndongo Dia
- Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Maedeh Naghibosadat
- Biological Sciences Platform, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Research Institute at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Allison McGeer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Sinai Health System/University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Samira Muberaka
- Biological Sciences Platform, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Research Institute at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics, Division of Microbiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Stella Ndidi
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Libreville, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Carlos B Tauil
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Jean-Bernard Lekana-Douki
- Unité d'Evolution Epidémiologie et Résistances Parasitaires, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | | | | | | | - Kelly G Magalhães
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Nina Weis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert Kozak
- Biological Sciences Platform, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Research Institute at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics, Division of Microbiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gary P Kobinger
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Hugues Fausther-Bovendo
- Département de Microbiologie-Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada. .,Global Urgent and Advanced Research and Development, 911 Rue Principale, Unit 100, Batiscan, QC, G0X 1A0, Canada.
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