VACCINATION INCREASES ANTIBODIES IN NOS IS THE FIRST BARRIER AGAINST CORONAVIRUS

BIG DIFFERENCE REPORTS PIPES TO ASTRAZENECA VACCINES
Ghent, 15 September 2021 Researchers from UZ Ghent and VIB (Flemish Institute of Biotechnology) studied the production of COVID-19 antibodies in the nose. 78.3% of the study participants developed antibodies at that site after their vaccination. The antibodies in the nose can be a major deterrent to infection and spread.

Antibodies as protection against COVID-19

 

“The coronavirus enters our body through the upper respiratory tract,” explains the nose, throat and ear specialist Prof. Dr. Philippe Gevaert. “Neutralizing antibodies in our blood make the virus harmless by blocking the binding of spike proteins to human cells. It is therefore important to examine the reaction to an infection and the vaccination in the nose. ‘

Most antibodies in the nose after Pfizer vaccination

 

Blood and nose were examined twice in 46 student participants: just before the first vaccination with Pfizer or AstraZeneca and 13 to 40 days after the second vaccination. 23 participants had an infection before their vaccination. Just before their first vaccination, only 17.4% of them showed antibodies in the nose. After full vaccination, 78.3% of all participants developed antibodies in the nose.

Participants who received Pfizer showed more antibodies (96%) than participants who received AstraZeneca (59%). Also, the local antibodies in Pfizer have shown a stronger neutralization of the viral spike protein than in AstraZeneca. An earlier COVID-19 infection had no effect on the results. Blood tests showed the same number of antibodies in both vaccine groups.

Continuation of the study

 

It is not yet clear why some vaccines generate antibodies in the nose more often than others. “The explanation may be due to a different time span between the two doses or a different effect of the vaccines,” suspects the infectious disease specialist Prof. Dr. Linos Vandekerckhove. “During a follow-up study, we will make the further evolution of the antibody response in the blood and nose. We hope to gain more clarity in this way.”