Favourable antibody responses to human coronaviruses in children and adolescents with autoimmune rheumatic diseases

• DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.15.431291
• Publication Date: 2021-02-17T06:08:31Z
• Authors: Claire T. Deakin; Georgina H. Cornish; Kevin W. Ng; Nikhil Faulkner; William Bolland; Veera Panova; Joshua Hope; Annachiara Rosa; Ruth Harvey; Saira Hussain; Christopher Earl; Bethany R. Jebson; Meredyth G.Ll. Wi...; Lucy R. Marshall; Kathryn O’Brien; Elizabeth C. Rosser; Anna Radziszewska; Hannah Peckham; Judith Heaney; Hannah Rickman; Stavroula Paraske...; Catherine F. Houl...; Moira J. Spyer; Steve J. Gamblin; John McCauley; Eleni Nastouli; Peter Cherepanov; Coziana Ciurtin; Lucy R. Wedderburn; George Kassiotis
• Keywords: Juvenile Dermatomyositis; Coronavirus

Abstract Differences in humoral immunity to coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), between children and adults remain unexplained the impact of underlying immune dysfunction or suppression unknown. Here, we examined antibody competence adolescents with prevalent inflammatory rheumatic diseases, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), dermatomyositis (JDM) systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), against seasonal human (HCoV)-OC43 that frequently infects this age group. Despite immunosuppressive treatment, JIA, JDM JSLE patients mounted comparable stronger responses than healthier peers, dominated by IgG antibodies HCoV-OC43 spike, harboured cross-reacted SARS-CoV-2 spike. In contrast, nucleoproteins exhibited delayed age-dependent class-switching were not elevated patients, arguing increased exposure. Consequently, autoimmune diseases their treatment associated a favourable ratio spike nucleoprotein antibodies.