Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2022 May, 257(1)

Serological Screening of Immunoglobulin G against SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid and Spike Protein before and after Two Vaccine Doses among Healthcare Workers in Japan

Suguru Hiramoto,^1,2 Daichi Miyashita,^1,2 Takao Kimura,^1,2 Takahiko Niwa,^1,2 Azusa Uchida,^1,2 Maika Sano,^1,2 Mai Murata,^1,2 Takumi Nagasawa,^1,2 Katsuhiko Tsunekawa,^1,2 Tomoyuki Aoki,^1,2 Akihiro Yoshida,^1,2 Toshimitsu Kato,³ Kunio Yanagisawa,³ Yutaka Tokue³ and Masami Murakami^1,2

¹Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
²Clinical Laboratory Center, Gunma University Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
³Infection Control and Prevention Center, Gunma University Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan

This study sought to evaluate the effects of two vaccine doses and the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers. We measured immunoglobulin G antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike protein among healthcare workers at Gunma University Hospital. In March 2021, prior to BNT-162b2 vaccination, two of 771 participants were seropositive for nucleocapsid and spike protein, whereas 768 were seronegative. The remaining one participant was seropositive for nucleocapsid protein but seronegative for spike protein. A total of 769 participants were seropositive for spike protein after two vaccination doses. The two seropositive participants prior to vaccination showed the highest antibody titers after the second vaccination. They were probably infected with SARS-CoV-2 without clinical symptoms before March 2021. Four weeks after the second vaccination, a younger age was associated with higher antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Thirty-two weeks after the second vaccination, blood samples were collected from 342 of 769 participants. Antibody titers at 32 weeks after the second vaccination significantly decreased compared with those at 4 weeks after the second vaccination among all age groups. The rate of decrease in antibody titers between 4 and 32 weeks after the second vaccination was greater in the female participants. No sex differences were observed in the antibody titers within each age group. BNT-162b2 vaccination thus induced seroconversion in an age-dependent manner. Serological screening could further establish the likelihood of subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords —— immunoglobulin G; nucleocapsid; SARS-CoV-2; spike protein; vaccination

© 2022 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med 2022, 257, 57-64.

Correspondence: Takao Kimura, Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.

e-mail: tkimura@gunma-u.ac.jp