Seroprevalence and dynamics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: a longitudinal study based on patients with underlying diseases in Wuhan

BACKGROUND: Assessing the humoral immunity of patients with underlying diseases after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 is essential for adopting effective prevention and control strategies. The purpose of this study is to analyze the seroprevalence of people with underlying diseases and the dynamic change features of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. METHODS: We selected 100 communities in Wuhan using the probability-proportional-to-size sampling method. From these 100 communities, we randomly selected households according to a list provided by the local government. Individuals who have lived in Wuhan for at least 14 days since December 2019 and were ≥ 40 years old were included. From April 9–13, 2020, community staff invited all selected individuals to the community healthcare center in batches by going door-to-door or telephone. All participants completed a standardized electronic questionnaire simultaneously. Finally, 5 ml of venous blood was collected from all participants. Blood samples were tested for the presence of pan-immunoglobulins, IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and neutralising antibodies were assessed. During the period June 11–13, 2020 and October 9–December 5, 2020, all family members of a positive family and matched negative families were followed up twice. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in people with underlying diseases was 6.30% (95% CI [5.09–7.52]), and that of people without underlying diseases was 6.12% (95% CI [5.33–6.91]). A total of 313 people were positive for total antibodies at baseline, of which 97 had underlying disease. At the first follow-up, a total of 212 people were positive for total antibodies, of which 66 had underlying disease. At the second follow-up, a total of 238 people were positive for total antibodies, of which 68 had underlying disease. A total of 219 participants had three consecutive serum samples with positive total antibodies at baseline. The IgG titers decreased significantly with or without underlying diseases (P < 0.05) within the 9 months at least, while the neutralizing antibody titer remained stable. The titer of asymptomatic patients was lower than that of symptomatic patients (baseline, P = 0.032, second follow-up, P = 0.018) in the underlying diseases group. CONCLUSION: Our research focused on the serological changes of people with and without underlying diseases in a state of single natural infection. Regardless of the underlying diseases, the IgG titer decreased significantly over time, while there was no significant difference in the decline rate of IgG between with and without underlying diseases. Moreover, the neutralizing antibody titer remained relatively stable within the 9 months at least. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12931-022-02096-5.