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. 2023 Apr 12;227(7):850-854.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac270.

Placental Injury and Antibody Transfer after Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pregnancy

Patience Timi  1 , Sarah E Kellerhals  2 , Naima T Joseph  3   4 , Carolynn M Dude  3 , Hans P Verkerke  5 , Les'Shon S Irby  3 , Alicia K Smith  3 , Sean R Stowell  6 , Denise J Jamieson  3 , Martina L Badell  3
Affiliations

Placental Injury and Antibody Transfer after Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pregnancy

Patience Timi et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: We examined the relationship between placental histopathology and transplacental antibody transfer in pregnant patients after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Methods: Differences in plasma concentrations of anti-receptor biding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies in maternal and cord blood were analyzed according to presence of placental injury.

Results: Median anti-RBD IgG concentrations in cord blood with placental injury (n = 7) did not differ significantly from those without injury (n = 16) (median 2.7 [interquartile range {IQR}, 1.8-3.6] vs 2.7 [IQR, 2.4-2.9], P = 0.59). However, they were associated with lower transfer ratios (median 0.77 [IQR, 0.61-0.97] vs 0.97 [IQR, 0.80-1.01], P = 0.05).

Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 placental injury may mediate reduced maternal-fetal antibody transfer.

Keywords: COVID-19; antibody transfer; placenta; pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts of interest. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(A)Absolute anti-receptor biding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin (Ig)G concentrations in cord blood compared with maternal sera according to presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) placental injury. All maternal sera and 83% (n = 19) cord blood samples had detectable anti-RBD IgG. There was no statically significant difference in the absolute cord blood anti-RBD IgG concentrations in patients with and without SARS-CoV-2-induced placental injury (log end dilution titer 2.7 [interquartile range {IQR}, 1.8–3.6] vs 2.7 [IQR, 2.4–2.9], P = .59). (B) Anti-SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG cord-to-maternal ratios grouped according to presence of SARS-CoV-2 placental injury. The cord, maternal ratio, or transplacental transfer efficiency was calculated as the ratio between cord blood and maternal anti-RBD IgG log endpoint titers. The median antibody transfer efficiency in placentas without SARS-CoV-2-induced placental injury was 0.77 (IQR, 0.61–0.97). The median antibody transfer efficiency in placentas with SARS-CoV-2-induced placental injury was 0.97 (IQR, 0.80–1.01; P = .05).
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