Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response

Understanding the efficacy and durability of heterologous immunization schedules against SARS-CoV-2 is critical, as supply demands and vaccine choices become significant issues in the global vaccination strategy. Here we characterize the neutralizing antibodies produced in two subjects who received...

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Main Authors: Ali Toloue Ostadgavahi, Ryan Booth, Gary Sisson, Nichole McMullen, Michelle Warhuus, Peter Robertson, Matthew Miller, Wanda C Allen, May El Sherif, Robert Brownlie, Darryl Falzarano, Christopher D Richardson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 2021-05-01
Series:Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
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Online Access:https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/15368
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author Ali Toloue Ostadgavahi
Ryan Booth
Gary Sisson
Nichole McMullen
Michelle Warhuus
Peter Robertson
Matthew Miller
Wanda C Allen
May El Sherif
Robert Brownlie
Darryl Falzarano
Christopher D Richardson
author_facet Ali Toloue Ostadgavahi
Ryan Booth
Gary Sisson
Nichole McMullen
Michelle Warhuus
Peter Robertson
Matthew Miller
Wanda C Allen
May El Sherif
Robert Brownlie
Darryl Falzarano
Christopher D Richardson
author_sort Ali Toloue Ostadgavahi
collection DOAJ
description Understanding the efficacy and durability of heterologous immunization schedules against SARS-CoV-2 is critical, as supply demands and vaccine choices become significant issues in the global vaccination strategy. Here we characterize the neutralizing antibodies produced in two subjects who received combination immunizations against SARS-CoV-2, first with Covishield (Oxford–AstraZeneca) vaccine, followed 33 days later with a second dose (booster) shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Serum samples were collected 25 days following the primary vaccination and 13 days after the secondary Pfizer vaccination. Both subjects exhibited increased levels of isotype IgG and IgM antibodies directed against the entire spike protein following immunizations. These antibodies also exhibited increased reactivity with the receptor binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein and neutralized the infectivity of replicating vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that contains the COVID-19 coronavirus S protein gene in place of its normal G glycoprotein. This VSV pseudovirus also contains the reporter gene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Antibody titers against the spike protein and serum neutralization titers against the reporter virus are reported for the 2 heterologous vaccinated individuals and compared to a positive control derived from a convalescent patient and a negative control from an unexposed individual. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine increased antibody binding to the spike protein and RBD, and approached levels found in the convalescent positive control. Neutralizing antibodies against the VSV-S pseudovirus in the 2 subjects also approached levels in the convalescent sera. These results firmly validate the value of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in boosting immunity following initial Covishield inoculation.
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spelling doaj-art-f007d92369cc4aefbe94bf902bdaa9012025-08-20T02:27:07ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802021-05-01150510.3855/jidc.15368Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune responseAli Toloue Ostadgavahi0Ryan Booth1Gary Sisson2Nichole McMullen3Michelle Warhuus4Peter Robertson5Matthew Miller6Wanda C Allen7May El Sherif8Robert Brownlie9Darryl Falzarano10Christopher D Richardson11Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCanadian Centre for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCanadian Centre for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCanadian Centre for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCanadian Centre for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCanadian Centre for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaVaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaVaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Understanding the efficacy and durability of heterologous immunization schedules against SARS-CoV-2 is critical, as supply demands and vaccine choices become significant issues in the global vaccination strategy. Here we characterize the neutralizing antibodies produced in two subjects who received combination immunizations against SARS-CoV-2, first with Covishield (Oxford–AstraZeneca) vaccine, followed 33 days later with a second dose (booster) shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Serum samples were collected 25 days following the primary vaccination and 13 days after the secondary Pfizer vaccination. Both subjects exhibited increased levels of isotype IgG and IgM antibodies directed against the entire spike protein following immunizations. These antibodies also exhibited increased reactivity with the receptor binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein and neutralized the infectivity of replicating vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that contains the COVID-19 coronavirus S protein gene in place of its normal G glycoprotein. This VSV pseudovirus also contains the reporter gene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Antibody titers against the spike protein and serum neutralization titers against the reporter virus are reported for the 2 heterologous vaccinated individuals and compared to a positive control derived from a convalescent patient and a negative control from an unexposed individual. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine increased antibody binding to the spike protein and RBD, and approached levels found in the convalescent positive control. Neutralizing antibodies against the VSV-S pseudovirus in the 2 subjects also approached levels in the convalescent sera. These results firmly validate the value of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in boosting immunity following initial Covishield inoculation. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/15368SARS-CoV-2COVID-19heterologous immunizationhumoral immunityvaccinesneutralizing antibodies
spellingShingle Ali Toloue Ostadgavahi
Ryan Booth
Gary Sisson
Nichole McMullen
Michelle Warhuus
Peter Robertson
Matthew Miller
Wanda C Allen
May El Sherif
Robert Brownlie
Darryl Falzarano
Christopher D Richardson
Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
heterologous immunization
humoral immunity
vaccines
neutralizing antibodies
title Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
title_full Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
title_fullStr Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
title_full_unstemmed Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
title_short Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
title_sort heterologous immunization with covishield and pfizer vaccines against sars cov 2 elicits a robust humoral immune response
topic SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
heterologous immunization
humoral immunity
vaccines
neutralizing antibodies
url https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/15368
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