November 5, 2020

expert reaction to study looking at antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children and adults

A study published in Nature Immunology compares antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children and adults.

Prof Eleanor Riley, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Edinburgh, said:

“This high quality, peer-reviewed study compares the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) in children and adults with either mild/asymptomatic or severe disease. Adults tended to have higher antibody and more diverse antibody responses than children, with the highest responses seen in adults with severe disease. Children did not make significant amounts of antibody against the N protein and also made very little in the way of IgA antibodies (that are secreted into the nose and throat and may protect against reinfection). 

“Whilst there are a number of potential explanations for these data, including underlying differences in the immune systems of children and adults, one possibility is that the virus behaves rather differently in children and adults. One hypothesis is that the receptor protein in the respiratory tract that binds SARS-CoV-2 (and allows it to invade the cells of the lung) is expressed at a lower level in children than in adults. As we age, more of this receptor protein is expressed and our lungs become vulnerable to infection. This may be important as tissue damage and inflammation provide a strong stimulus for the immune response, leading to more antibody being produced and more diverse the types of antibodies being produced. 

“These data do not explain why some children develop MIS-C. Studies of cellar immune responses may throw more light on this very rare but serious condition.”

‘Distinct antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children and adults across the COVID-19 clinical spectrum’ by Weisberg et al is published in Nature Immunology.

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

Declared interests

 Prof Eleanor Riley: “No COIs to declare.”