Predicting the protective humoral response to a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine

Objectives: Simple and standardized methods to establish correlates to vaccine-elicited SARS-CoV-2 protection are needed. Methods: An observational study on antibody response to a mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty) was performed on health care workers (V, n=120). Recovered COVID-19 patients (N, n=94) were used for comparison. Antibody response was evaluated by a quantitative anti-receptor binding domain IgG (anti-RBD) commercial assay and by virus microneutralization test (MNT), in order to establish a threshold of anti-RBD binding antibody units (BAU) able to predict a robust (≥1:80) MNT titer. Results: Significant correlation between BAU and MNT titers was found in both V and N, being stronger in V (rs=0.91 and 0.57 respectively, p<0.001); a higher incremental trend starting from MNT titer 1:80 was observed in the V group. The 99% probability of high MNT titer (≥1:80) was reached at 1,814 and 3,564 BAU/mL, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.99 (CI: 0.99–1.00) and 0.78 (CI: 0.67–0.86) in V and N, respectively. Conclusions: A threshold of 2,000 BAU/mL is highly predictive of strong MNT response in vaccinated individuals and may represent a good surrogate marker of protective response. It remains to be established whether the present results can be extended to BAU titers obtained with other assays.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Predicting the protective humoral response to a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine ; volume:59 ; number:12 ; year:2021 ; pages:2010-2018 ; extent:09 ; Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine ; 59, Heft 12 (2021), 2010-2018 (gesamt 09)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Meschi, Silvia ; Matusali, Giulia ; Colavita, Francesca ; Lapa, Daniele ; Bordi, Licia ; Puro, Vincenzo ; Leoni, Bruno D. ; Galli, Claudio ; Capobianchi, Maria Rosaria ; Castilletti, Concetta

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2021-0700
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022060306554184129720
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:21 AM CEST