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Simple prediction of COVID-19 convalescent plasma with high levels of neutralization antibodies
  • +10
  • Katerina Jazbec,
  • Mojca Jež,
  • Klemen Žiberna,
  • Polonca Mali,
  • Ziva Ramsak,
  • Urška Rahne Potokar,
  • Zdravko Kvržić,
  • Maja Černilec,
  • Melita Gracar,
  • Marjana Šprohar,
  • Petra Jovanovič,
  • Sonja Vuletić,
  • Primož Rožman
Katerina Jazbec
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Mojca Jež
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Klemen Žiberna
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Polonca Mali
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Ziva Ramsak
Nacionalni institut za biologijo
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Urška Rahne Potokar
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Zdravko Kvržić
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Maja Černilec
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Melita Gracar
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Marjana Šprohar
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Petra Jovanovič
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Sonja Vuletić
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Primož Rožman
Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino
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Abstract

Background: Hyperimmune convalescent COVID-19 plasma (CCP) containing anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) was proposed as a therapeutic option for patients early in the new coronavirus disease pandemic. The efficacy of this therapy depends on the quantity of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in the CCP units, with titers > 1:160 being recommended. The standard neutralizing tests (NTs) used for determining appropriate CCP donors are technically demanding and expensive and take several days. We explored whether they could be replaced by high-throughput serology tests and a set of available clinical data. Methods: Our study included 1302 CCP donors after PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection. To predict donors with high NAb titers, we built four (4) multiple logistic regression models evaluating the relationships of demographic data, COVID-19 symptoms, results of various serological testing, the period between disease and donation, and COVID-19 vaccination status. Results: The analysis of the four models showed that the chemiluminescent microparticle assay (CMIA) for the quantitative determination of IgG Abs to the RBD of the S1 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was enough to predict the CCP units with a high NAb titer. CCP donors with the respective results >6000 AU/ml SARS-CoV-2 IgG had an 80% probability of attaining high NAb titers. Including additional variables such as donor demographics, clinical symptoms, or time of donation into a particular predictive model did not significantly increase its sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: A simple quantitative serological determination of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies alone is satisfactory for efficiently predicting CCP donors with high titer NAbs.