Correlation of Sars-Cov-2 IGG Antibody Levels with Viral Load Among Vaccine Breakthrough Infections: A Study From Rawalpindi

Adnan Shahzad; Eijaz Ghani; Eisha Mansoor; Muhammad Ali Rathore; Saifullah Khan Niazi; Faraz Ahmed

doi:10.51253/pafmj.v74i4.10199

Authors

Adnan Shahzad Department of Virology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Rawalpindi Pakistan
Eijaz Ghani Department of Virology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Rawalpindi Pakistan
Eisha Mansoor Department of Community Medicine, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Rawalpindi Pakistan
Muhammad Ali Rathore Department of Virology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Rawalpindi Pakistan
Saifullah Khan Niazi Department of Virology, Combined Military Hospital Lahore/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Pakistan
Faraz Ahmed Department of Virology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Rawalpindi Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v74i4.10199

Keywords:

Breakthrough Infections, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccines, Viral Load.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers and viral load in vaccine breakthrough infections.

Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Virology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Nov 2021 to May 2022.

Methodology: Three hundred and thirty-seven patients admitted at the Pak Emirates Military Hospital, who had completed the entire course of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and developed COVID-19, at least 14 days from the second dose were selected. Specimens for the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 were taken from posterior nasopharyngeal swabs and serum for anti-Spike antibodies. Viral load in the specimens were estimated using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Meanwhile, antibodies level against the SARS-CoV-2 surface spike protein receptor binding domain were assessed using COBAS e411 Electrochemiluminescence.

Results: Two hundred and thirty-two (69%) patients were male, while 104(31%) were female. Age, Cycle Threshold value and antibody titers data were normally distributed. Mean age (in years) of participants was 41.83±15.35 (range 18-65). Mean Cycle Threshold value was 23.79±5.49 (range 13.3–35), while mean anti-Spike IgG titers was 165.29±84.62 (range 12–250). Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was 0.023 with a 95% CI [-0.08, 0.13] and p-value >0.05, indicating no correlation between Cycle Threshold values and antibody titers.

Conclusion: No correlation was found between viral load and anti-spike antibody among patients presenting with breakthrough infections following vaccination with an inactivated vaccine.

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