Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37603565›Full record

ArticlePLoS pathogens2023

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages and associated saliva antibody responses among asymptomatic individuals in a large university community.

Marlena R Merling, Amanda Williams, Najmus S Mahfooz, Marisa Ruane-Foster, Jacob Smith, Jeff Jahnes, Leona W Ayers, Jose A Bazan, Alison Norris, Abigail Norris Turner and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS pathogens, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marlena R MerlingDepartment of Microbial Infection & Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Amanda WilliamsDepartment of Microbial Infection & Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Najmus S MahfoozDepartment of Microbial Infection & Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Marisa Ruane-FosterDepartment of Microbial Infection & Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Jacob SmithInfectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Jeff JahnesInfectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Leona W AyersDepartment of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Jose A BazanDivision of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Alison NorrisDivision of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Abigail Norris TurnerDivision of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Michael OglesbeeInfectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Seth A FaithInfectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Mikkel B QuamDepartment of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Richard T RobinsonDepartment of Microbial Infection & Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-4699-515X
The Ohio State University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 (CoV2) infected, asymptomatic individuals are an important contributor to COVID transmission. CoV2-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)-as generated by the immune system following infection or vaccination-has helped limit CoV2 transmission from asymptomatic individuals to susceptible populations (e.g. elderly). Here, we describe the relationships between COVID incidence and CoV2 lineage, viral load, saliva Ig levels (CoV2-specific IgM, IgA and IgG), and ACE2 binding inhibition capacity in asymptomatic individuals between January 2021 and May 2022. These data were generated as part of a large university COVID monitoring program in Ohio, United States of America, and demonstrate that COVID incidence among asymptomatic individuals occurred in waves which mirrored those in surrounding regions, with saliva CoV2 viral loads becoming progressively higher in our community until vaccine mandates were established. Among the unvaccinated, infection with each CoV2 lineage (pre-Omicron) resulted in saliva Spike-specific IgM, IgA, and IgG responses, the latter increasing significantly post-infection and being more pronounced than N-specific IgG responses. Vaccination resulted in significantly higher Spike-specific IgG levels compared to unvaccinated infected individuals, and uninfected vaccinees' saliva was more capable of inhibiting Spike function. Vaccinees with breakthrough Delta infections had Spike-specific IgG levels comparable to those of uninfected vaccinees; however, their ability to inhibit Spike binding was diminished. These data are consistent with COVID vaccines having achieved hoped-for effects in our community, including the generation of mucosal antibodies that inhibit Spike and lower community viral loads, and suggest breakthrough Delta infections were not due to an absence of vaccine-elicited Ig, but instead limited Spike binding activity in the face of high community viral loads.

Indexed as

Antibody FormationCOVID-19AgedBreakthrough InfectionsHumansImmunoglobulin AImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MSalivaSARS-CoV-2UniversitiesImmunoglobulin AImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin M

Identifiers

PMID37603565
PMCPMC10470930
OpenAlexW4386022772

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.