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Review
. 2021 May;25(10):4523-4533.
doi: 10.1111/jcmm.16462. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Back to basics in COVID-19: Antigens and antibodies-Completing the puzzle

Monica Neagu  1   2   3 , Daniela Calina  4 , Anca Oana Docea  5 , Carolina Constantin  1   2 , Tommaso Filippini  6 , Marco Vinceti  6   7 , Nikolaos Drakoulis  8 , Konstantinos Poulas  9 , Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis  10 , Demetrios A Spandidos  11 , Aristidis Tsatsakis  10   12
Affiliations
Review

Back to basics in COVID-19: Antigens and antibodies-Completing the puzzle

Monica Neagu et al. J Cell Mol Med. 2021 May.

Abstract

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has gathered 1 year of scientific/clinical information. This informational asset should be thoroughly and wisely used in the coming year colliding in a global task force to control this infection. Epidemiology of this infection shows that the available estimates of SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence largely depended on the availability of molecular testing and the extent of tested population. Within molecular diagnosis, the viability and infectiousness of the virus in the tested samples should be further investigated. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 has a genetic normal evolution that is a dynamic process. The immune system participates to the counterattack of the viral infection by pathogen elimination, cellular homoeostasis, tissue repair and generation of memory cells that would be reactivated upon a second encounter with the same virus. In all these stages, we still have knowledge to be gathered regarding antibody persistence, protective effects and immunological memory. Moreover, information regarding the intense pro-inflammatory action in severe cases still lacks and this is important in stratifying patients for difficult to treat cases. Without being exhaustive, the review will cover these important issues to be acknowledged to further advance in the battle against the current pandemia.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; antigens; immune memory; immune response; mutations; tests.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Main molecular targets and antigens detected in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection used in diagnosis
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Antibody types in viral infections. (A) Neutralizing antibodies can link to the viural particle hindering its entrance in the target cell, and/or antibodies can link to the specific receptor that it used by the viral particle; (B) low affinity antibodies linked to the viral particle can activate Fc receptor on the target cell and thus favour viral entry into the cell generating ADE‐related mechanisms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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