Follmann et al.: "Antinucleocapsid Antibodies After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Blinded Phase of the Randomized, Placebo-Controlled mRNA-1273 COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Clinical Trial"
'Seroconversion to anti-N Abs (median of 53 days after diagnosis) occurred in 21 of 52 mRNA-1273 vaccinees (40% [95% CI, 27% to 54%]) versus 605 of 648 placebo recipients (93% [CI, 92% to 95%]).'
Another win for natural immunity (we had this as pre-print but now published in peer reviewed journal).
This is a major concern if the mRNA vaccine is impacting N Ab inducement, for then the unvaccinated who are naturally exposed and infected and mount an immune response, will show a far superior and broad immune response that includes Ab to not only the mutable spike but also to other viral proteins such as the interior nucleocapsid protein (evidence of long-term acquired-adaptive natural immunity).
‘Antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein (anti-N Abs) are not elicited by COVID-19 vaccines that target the spike protein, including all vaccines currently used in the United States. '
Bottom line: only 40% mRNA vaccine recipients developed anti-N Ab compared to 90% of placebo recipients.
SOURCE:
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-1300
Aim:
To evaluate anti-nucleocapsid antibody (anti-N Ab) seropositivity in mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccinees with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Nested substudy of a phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled vaccine efficacy trial.
99 sites in the United States, July 2020 through March 2021.
Participants were aged 18 years or older, had no known history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and were at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19.
Among 812 participants with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 illness during the blinded phase of the trial (through March 2021), seroconversion to anti-N Abs (median of 53 days after diagnosis) occurred in 21 of 52 mRNA-1273 vaccinees (40% [95% CI, 27% to 54%]) versus 605 of 648 placebo recipients (93% [CI, 92% to 95%]). Each 1-log increase in SARS-CoV-2 viral copies at diagnosis was associated with 90% higher odds of anti-N Ab seroconversion (odds ratio, 1.90 [CI, 1.59 to 2.28]).
Substantially less N Ab (nucleocapsid antibodies are highly conserved and stable, unlike the mutable spike protein) emerged in the vaccinated than those who were unvaccinated. Prior mRNA-1273 vaccination influenced/impacted anti-nucleocapsid antibody seroconversion relative to those unvaccinated.
I had included this piece on natural immunity in the seminal op-ed that is iterating as new studies emerge but it was pre-print then and not yet peer-reviewed:
The real unanswered question is how badly has your natural immunity and genetics been compromised by the mRNA injection and how many will still die from other diseases and physical complications because of mRNA.
I hope I am getting this right. The vaccinees still all got sick with Covid infection despite having made antibodies to Wuhan spike protein, but only 40% of them developed anti-N Abs afterwards because the existence of their anti-S Abs stopped the production of anti-N Abs somehow in the others. But nearly all the people in the other group DID make anti-N Abs even if they didn't get overtly sick with Covid?