WASHINGTON: With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants across the world, the spread of the pandemic is accelerating. A research team led by Joel Pelletier and Jean-François Maison, both professors in the Université de Montréal’s Department of Chemistry, wanted to find out whether natural infection or vaccination was producing more protective antibodies.
In their study published in scientific report, they see that those who received pfizer Antibody levels in the BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine were significantly higher than in infected individuals. These antibodies were also effective against delta variant, which was not present in Quebec when the samples were collected in 2020.
Masson, a biomedical equipment specialist, and Pelletier, a protein chemistry specialist, were interested in an understanding group: people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 but were not hospitalized as a result of the infection.
As a result, 32 non-hospitalized COVID-19 positive Canadian adults were recruited by the Center Hospitalier de l’Université Laval, 14 to 21 days after being diagnosed via PCR testing. this was before 2020 Beta, Delta and Gamma versions appeared.
“Everyone who became infected produced antibodies, but older people produced more than adults under the age of 50. In addition, the antibodies were still present in their bloodstream 16 weeks after their diagnosis, Mason said.
Antibodies produced after infection by the original, “native” strain of the virus also reacted to the SARS-CoV-2 variants that emerged in later waves, namely Beta (South Africa), Delta (India), and Gamma (Brazil). ), but to a lesser extent: a reduction of 30 to 50 percent.
“But the result that surprised us the most was that the antibodies produced by naturally infected individuals aged 50 and older provided greater protection than those produced by adults younger than 50,” Pelletier said.
“This was determined by measuring the ability of the antibody to inhibit the interaction of the spike protein of the delta variant with the ACE-2 receptor in human cells, which is how we become infected. We observed the same phenomenon with other variants.” Didn’t observe,” he added.
When a person who has a mild case of COVID is vaccinated, the level of antibodies in their blood doubles compared to an uninfected person who has been infected with the virus. Their antibodies are also better able to inhibit the spike-ACE-2 interaction.
“But even more interestingly, we have samples from a person under the age of 49 whose infection did not produce antibodies inhibiting the spike-ACE-2 interaction, unlike vaccination. This suggests that Vaccination increases protection against the delta variant among people already infected with the native strain,” Mason said.
Both scientists believe that more research needs to be done to determine the best combination to maintain the most effective levels of reactive antibodies for all types of viruses.
In their study published in scientific report, they see that those who received pfizer Antibody levels in the BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine were significantly higher than in infected individuals. These antibodies were also effective against delta variant, which was not present in Quebec when the samples were collected in 2020.
Masson, a biomedical equipment specialist, and Pelletier, a protein chemistry specialist, were interested in an understanding group: people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 but were not hospitalized as a result of the infection.
As a result, 32 non-hospitalized COVID-19 positive Canadian adults were recruited by the Center Hospitalier de l’Université Laval, 14 to 21 days after being diagnosed via PCR testing. this was before 2020 Beta, Delta and Gamma versions appeared.
“Everyone who became infected produced antibodies, but older people produced more than adults under the age of 50. In addition, the antibodies were still present in their bloodstream 16 weeks after their diagnosis, Mason said.
Antibodies produced after infection by the original, “native” strain of the virus also reacted to the SARS-CoV-2 variants that emerged in later waves, namely Beta (South Africa), Delta (India), and Gamma (Brazil). ), but to a lesser extent: a reduction of 30 to 50 percent.
“But the result that surprised us the most was that the antibodies produced by naturally infected individuals aged 50 and older provided greater protection than those produced by adults younger than 50,” Pelletier said.
“This was determined by measuring the ability of the antibody to inhibit the interaction of the spike protein of the delta variant with the ACE-2 receptor in human cells, which is how we become infected. We observed the same phenomenon with other variants.” Didn’t observe,” he added.
When a person who has a mild case of COVID is vaccinated, the level of antibodies in their blood doubles compared to an uninfected person who has been infected with the virus. Their antibodies are also better able to inhibit the spike-ACE-2 interaction.
“But even more interestingly, we have samples from a person under the age of 49 whose infection did not produce antibodies inhibiting the spike-ACE-2 interaction, unlike vaccination. This suggests that Vaccination increases protection against the delta variant among people already infected with the native strain,” Mason said.
Both scientists believe that more research needs to be done to determine the best combination to maintain the most effective levels of reactive antibodies for all types of viruses.
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