Anti-Ebola Virus Antibody Levels in Convalescent Plasma and Viral Load After Plasma Infusion in Patients With Ebola Virus Disease.

ABSTRACT: Background:Ebola virus (EBOV) neutralizing antibody in plasma may reduce viral load following administration of plasma to patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD), but measurement of these antibodies is complex. Methods:Anti-EBOV antibody was measured by 2 neutralization and 2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in convalescent plasma (ECP) from 100 EVD survivor donors in Liberia. Viral load was assessed repetitively in patients with EVD participating in a clinical trial of enhanced standard of care plus ECP. Results:All 4 anti-EBOV assays were highly concordant for detection of EBOV antibody. Antibodies were not detected in plasma specimens obtained from 15 of 100 donors, including 7 with documented EBOV-positive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction during EVD. Viral load was reduced following each dose in the 2 clinical trial participants who received ECP with higher antibody levels but not in the 2 who received ECP with lower antibody levels. Conclusions:Recovery from EVD can occur with absence of detectable anti-EBOV antibody several months after disease onset. ELISAs may be useful to select ECP donors or identify ECP units that contain neutralizing antibody. ECP with higher anti-EBOV antibody levels may have greater effect on EBOV load-an observation that requires further investigation. Clinical Trials Registration:NCT02333578.

SUBMITTER: Brown JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6927845 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature