Virological Characterization of Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: Interactions of Viral Load, Antibody Status, and B1.1.7 Infection

: Ratcliff J, Nguyen D, Fish M, Rynne J, Jennings A, Williams S, Al-Beidh F, Bonsall D, Evans A, Golubchik T, Gordon AC, Lamikanra A, Tsang P, Ciccone NA, Leuscher U, Slack W, Laing E, Mouncey PR, Ziyenge S, Oliveira M, Ploeg R, Rowan KM, Shankar-Hari M, Roberts DJ, Menon DK, Estcourt L, Simmonds P, Harvala H, REMAP-CAP Immunoglobulin Domain UK Investigators

: 2021

: Journal of Infectious Diseases

: The Journal of infectious diseases

: J Infect Dis

: 224

: 4

: 595

: 605

: 0022-1899

: 1537-6613

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab283

BACKGROUND\nMETHODS\nRESULTS\nCONCLUSIONS\nConvalescent plasma containing neutralizing antibody to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is under investigation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. We report diverse virological characteristics of UK intensive care patients enrolled in the Immunoglobulin Domain of the REMAP-CAP randomized controlled trial that potentially influence treatment outcomes.\nSARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs collected pretreatment was quantified by PCR. Antibody status was determined by spike-protein ELISA. B.1.1.7 was differentiated from other SARS-CoV-2 strains using allele-specific probes or restriction site polymorphism (SfcI) targeting D1118H.\nOf 1274 subjects, 90% were PCR positive with viral loads 118-1.7 × 1011IU/mL. Median viral loads were 40-fold higher in those IgG seronegative (n = 354; 28%) compared to seropositives (n = 939; 72%). Frequencies of B.1.1.7 increased from <1% in November 2020 to 82% of subjects in January 2021. Seronegative individuals with wild-type SARS-CoV-2 had significantly higher viral loads than seropositives (medians 5.8 × 106 and 2.0 × 105 IU/mL, respectively; P = 2 × 10-15).\nHigh viral loads in seropositive B.1.1.7-infected subjects and resistance to seroconversion indicate less effective clearance by innate and adaptive immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 strain, viral loads, and antibody status define subgroups for analysis of treatment efficacy.