NYMC Faculty Publications
SARS-Cov-2 Antibodies and Their Neutralizing Capacity Against Live Virus in Human Milk After COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination: Prospective Cohort Studies
Author Type(s)
Faculty
DOI
10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.10.008
Journal Title
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
First Page
485
Last Page
495
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2024
Department
Pediatrics
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is limited understanding of the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and vaccination type and interval on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) human milk antibodies and their neutralizing capacity. OBJECTIVES: These cohort studies aimed to determine the presence of antibodies and live virus neutralizing capacity in milk from females infected with COVID-19, unexposed milk bank donors, and vaccinated females and examine impacts of vaccine interval and type. METHODS: Milk was collected from participants infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy or lactation (Cohort-1) and milk bank donors (Cohort-2) from March 2020-July 2021 at 3 sequential 4-wk intervals and COVID-19 vaccinated participants with varying dose intervals (Cohort-3) (January-October 2021). Cohort-1 and Cohort-3 were recruited from Sinai Health (patients) and through social media. Cohort-2 included Ontario Milk Bank donors. Milk was examined for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and live virus neutralization. RESULTS: Of females with COVID-19, 53% (Cohort-1, n = 55) had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA antibodies in ≥1 milk sample. IgA+ samples (40%) were more likely neutralizing than IgA- samples (odds ratio [OR]: 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 4.60; P = 0.04); however, 25% of IgA- samples were neutralizing. Both IgA positivity and neutralization decreased ∼6 mo after symptom onset (0-100 compared with 201+ d: IgA OR: 14.30; 95% CI: 1.08, 189.89; P = 0.04; neutralizing OR: 4.30; 95% CI: 1.55, 11.89; P = 0.005). Among milk bank donors (Cohort-2, n = 373), 4.3% had IgA antibodies; 23% of IgA+ samples were neutralizing. Vaccination (Cohort-3, n = 60) with mRNA-1273 and shorter vaccine intervals (3 to <6 wk) resulted in higher IgA and IgG than BNT162b2 (P < 0.04) and longer intervals (6 to <16 wk) (P≤0.02), respectively. Neutralizing capacity increased postvaccination (P = 0.04) but was not associated with antibody positivity. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination (type and interval) impacted milk antibodies; however, antibody presence did not consistently predict live virus neutralization. Although human milk is unequivocally the best way to nourish infants, guidance on protection to infants following maternal infection/vaccination may require more nuanced messaging. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04453969 and NCT04453982.
Recommended Citation
Ismail, S., Unger, S., Budylowski, P., Poutanen, S., Yau, Y., Jenkins, C., Anwer, S., Christie-Holmes, N., Kiss, A., Mazzulli, T., Johnstone, J., McGeer, A., Whittle, W., Parvez, B., Gray-Owen, S. D., Stone, D., & O'Connor, D. L. (2024). SARS-Cov-2 Antibodies and Their Neutralizing Capacity Against Live Virus in Human Milk After COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination: Prospective Cohort Studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 119 (2), 485-495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.10.008