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#SARS-CoV-2 #antibody #immunity across three #continents: the West #Africa, West #Indies, West #London Consortium

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By G.M.

Abstract

Background: 

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has differed across continents. We hypothesized that regional differences in SARS-CoV-2 immunity might explain this observation. We therefore established the WWW Consortium in Ghana, W Africa; Jamaica, W Indies; and W London. Here, we describe the extent to which antibody immunity differs between these geographic locations. 

Methods: 

The WWW Consortium harmonises across the HERITAGE (Accra, Ghana), WINDFall (Kingston, Jamaica) and Legacy (London, UK) studies, establishing sharing frameworks for samples, metadata, and data; related permissions and oversight; and associated physical and cloud infrastructure. With centralised testing, we performed serological assessments across all three locations at two snapshots in 2024 (April 1st - August 18th; August 19th - December 31st) using high-throughput live virus neutralization and anti-nucleocapsid IgG, including n=763 individuals. 

Findings: 

We found that across all sites most participants had detectable neutralising antibody titres against JN.1 and XEC - the predominant variants in 2024. There were site-related differences in immunity: vaccine-included SARS-CoV-2 strains were better neutralised by participants from the Legacy study - Ancestral, BA.5, XBB.1.5 initially, and JN.1 after a homologous booster in autumn 2024. For HERITAGE, neutralisation of both alpha- (HCoV-229E) and beta-coronaviruses (HCoV-OC43) was higher than WINDFall suggesting a cross-coronavirus serological response in West Africa. Finally, antigenic cartography identified two distinct antibody landscapes, with JN.1 and XEC antigenically distant in Legacy, but not in HERITAGE and WINDFall. 

Interpretation: 

There is international heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 antibody immunity. Global recommendations for vaccine strain selection should incorporate data from diverse populations to ensure accurate, equitable recommendations. 

Funding: The Wellcome Trust.

Source: MedRxIV, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.13.25329588v1

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