Antibodies to Commonly Circulating Viral Pathogens Modulate Serological Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the seropositivity of circulating viral pathogens and their association with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seropositivity. In a cross-sectional design, inhabitants (aged 10–60 years) of the slum and surrounding non-slum areas of Dhaka and Chattogram Metropolitan cities in Bangladesh were enrolled from October 2020 to February 2021. Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, influenza B, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1), dengue and chikungunya viruses were determined in plasma. The association of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity with seropositivity to other viruses was assessed using the multi-variate logistic regression model. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2, influenza B, RSV, dengue, chikungunya, HCoV-HKU1 and the parainfluenza virus were 68.3%, 98%, 50.0%, 16.5%, 15.5%, 3.36% and 0.0%, respectively. Individuals seropositive for RSV had lower odds (OR = 0.60; 95% CI= 0.49, 0.73) of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity compared to RSV-seronegative individuals. Conversely, higher odds of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity were observed in participants seropositive for dengue (OR= 1.73; 95% CI = 1.14, 2.66, only in slum) or chikungunya (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.95) compared to their seronegative counterparts. The study findings indicated that exposure to vector-borne virus dengue or chikungunya enhance, while antibodies to respiratory virus RSV decrease, the serological response to SARS-CoV-2.