Journal article
Elevated BMI reduces the humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Clinical & Translational Immunology, Vol.12, pp.1-13
2023
PMCID: PMC10693902
PMID: 38050635
Abstract
Objective:
Class III obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 40 kg m−2) significantly impairs the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. However, the effect of an elevated BMI (≥ 25 kg m−2) on humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination remains unclear.
Methods:
We collected blood samples from people who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection approximately 3 and 13 months of post-infection (noting that these individuals were not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or vaccinated in the interim). We also collected blood samples from people approximately 5 months of post-second dose COVID-19 vaccination (the majority of whom did not have a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection). We measured their humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2, grouping individuals based on a BMI greater or less than 25 kg m−2.
Results:
Here, we show that an increased BMI (≥ 25 kg m−2), when accounting for age and sex differences, is associated with reduced antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 infection. At 3 months of post-infection, an elevated BMI was associated with reduced antibody titres. At 13 months of post-infection, an elevated BMI was associated with reduced antibody avidity and a reduced percentage of spike-positive B cells. In contrast, no significant association was noted between a BMI ≥ 25 kg m−2 and humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 at 5 months of post-secondary vaccination.
Conclusions:
Taken together, these data showed that elevated BMI is associated with an impaired humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The impairment of infection-induced immunity in individuals with a BMI ≥ 25 kg m−2 suggests an added impetus for vaccination rather than relying on infection-induced immunity.
Details
- Title
- Elevated BMI reduces the humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Authors
- Zhen Wei Marcus Tong (Author) - The University of QueenslandJulian D J Sng (Author) - The University of QueenslandMeagan Carney (Author) - The University of QueenslandLucy Cooper (Author) - Monash UniversitySamuel Brown (Author) - The University of QueenslandKatie E Lineburg (Author) - QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteKeng Yih Chew (Author) - The University of QueenslandNeve Collins (Author) - The University of QueenslandKirsten Ignacio (Author) - The University of QueenslandMegan Airey (Author) - The University of QueenslandSee article text for complete list of authors (Author)Linda Gallo (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Biomedicine
- Publication details
- Clinical & Translational Immunology, Vol.12, pp.1-13
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1002/cti2.1476
- ISSN
- 2050-0068
- PMID
- 38050635; PMC10693902
- Copyright note
- © 2023 The Authors. Clinical & Translational Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Data Availability
- The data that supports the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- Grant note
- Medical Research Future Fund. Grant Number: APP2005654; David Serisiser Research Biobank; Mater Research Foundation; La Trobe University; Vaxxas and Technovalia; NHMRC. Grant Number: 2007919
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health - Biomedicine
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99982894202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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