key: cord-0775061-r22d6b2y
authors: Lapić, Ivana; Šegulja, Dragana; Rogić, Dunja
title: Assessment of salivary antibody response to BNT162b2 mRNA COVID‐19 vaccination
date: 2021-05-28
journal: J Med Virol
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27096
sha: 685ab2220113184c60308f428fc9cafaf9939411
doc_id: 775061
cord_uid: r22d6b2y

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recent studies point at the development of an efficient and robust systemic humoral response following vaccination, that can be monitored using serological immunoassays registered for quantitative measurement of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies in serum. [1] [2] [3] [4] The humoral immune response might be expected not only in blood but also in the mucosa and salivary glands. Since SARS-CoV-2 is mainly transmitted through direct or indirect contact with mucosal membranes, the presence of mucosal antibodies might directly prevent or limit virus transmission. Saliva is an easily accessible and noninvasive sample, and the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies in saliva has been already confirmed in previously affected COVID-19 patients. [5] [6] [7] However, there is a scarcity of data on the possible presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies in salivary samples obtained from mRNA vaccine recipients. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein in paired serum and saliva samples from BNT162b2 vaccine recipients and to assess the possible correlation between serum and saliva antibody titers.

The study was performed at the Department of Laboratory From 43 study participants, 4 had antibody titers in saliva below the detection limit (<0.4 U/ml) and were assigned the value of 0.4 U/ ml to be included in the statistical analysis. Spearman's ρ was 0.606 (p < 0.001), showing a moderate correlation between antibody titers in serum and saliva ( Table 1 ). The graphical presentation of results provided in Figure 1 reveals the existence of one outlier with significantly higher antibody titers both in serum and saliva, as compared to other participants. The residuals were found to be normally distributed.

The present study supports recently published data that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein can be detected in the saliva of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine recipients, 10, 11 and further reveals that the systemic and mucosal antibody response is maintained for more than 2 months from the boost dose, however, exhibiting large interindividual variability. Moreover, it was demonstrated that antibody titers in serum are positively, but only moderately, correlated with paired saliva antibody titers. This finding suggests that the presence of antibodies in saliva might only partly derive from blood 

Executive Board of SIBioC (Società Italiana di Biochimica Clinica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica)

Kinetics and biological characteristics of humoral response developing after SARS-CoV-2 infection: implications for vaccination

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