New and better antibody test results? Should I celebrate?

[Harvist]

After my second vaccination last year I did a Roche Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Antibody Test and it registered 12 U/mL.

The accompanying literature indicates that a reading of less than 0.8 U/mL means negative for antibodies. So something good in my test.

Just received the results from another test which was 3 weeks after my 4th (booster) vaccine. This one indicates 379 U/mL.

Should I be pleased or is that difference between 379 and 2500 still a massive problem?

[GMa27]

That's great you have antibodies. They multiply when attacked by virus so your 12 & now over 300 will be a great army!

[Root65]

It's great there has been a good shift in the direction of your antibodies, but as you state it could still be regarded are a lowish result compared to 2500. I don't think anybody knows for sure what is ok, we take risks according to our unique circumstances and personal outlook. I had a very good result for antibodies and t cells, it has changed my behaviour only a little. My close family is allowed in the house if they social distance for the previous days and occasionally I eat out again with my husband. So, in short, my instinct says why not celebrate but proceed with caution 🙂

[LeoPa]

Better some than none, but they are less effective against Omicron, so don't let your guard down.

[Harvist]

I'm not sure that an increase like mine means anything at all, so all my precautions continue. But would be nice if there was any news about research into the possibilities.

[SeymourB]

Harvist -

I know of a fellow CLL patient who scored in the 700s on the LabCorp spike antibody test. I believe that test was Roche's Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S.

She still got Omicron a month or so ago, with terrible headache, muscle aches, and a 102F (39C) fever for several days. But a week later, she was feeling better. She is watch and wait, and has generally normal total IgG, IgM, and IgA. That's just one person, but it's clear that such a score does not indicate full neutralization.

I had no antibodies at all after the first 2 shots, and a measly 4.7U/mL on that same test after the 3rd back in August. I felt really good, though, to see that something was stirring, even if not to the point where I can go to a bar or club while unmasked. I would so like to hear some live jazz and have a beer or cocktail.

I look forward to my results after my 4th shot soon. Just before that shot a couple of weeks ago, my 4.7U/mL had dropped to 2.3U/mL - about 5 months after the 3rd shot. I do plan to try to get Evusheld as soon as I can after the test no matter what the result is. I'm in the Leukemia Lymphoma Society COVID vaccine effectiveness study.

As I read more about immunology, it's not all about the antibodies. T-cells, memory B and T-cells are also stirring. So, the antibody test is a really rough, indirect indication of immune activity. I'm in the U.S., and did a T-cell test from Adaptive Biotechnologies called T-Detect after my first 2 shots:

t-detect.com/

It came back positive. T-cell testing is in its infancy, and I hope we see more as time goes on. In the U.S. we can order it online, and pay $159 out of pocket. There are a few research papers on it, and it does not return a numeric value - only a qualitative postive vs negative for T-cell activity. I don't think it distinguishes between spike and nucleocapsid. Again, it was nice to see some reaction. I feel a little less vulnerable. In the absence of ability to produce nucleocapsid antibodies, I would like to see a T-cell test that could confirm a past infection.

Adaptive Biotechnologies also has B-cell tests for MRD status for CLL that work similar to the T-Detect test. For B-cells, they do DNA sequencing of the actual B-cell. For T-Detect, they sequence just part of the T-cell receptor. So they do know how to do quantitative testing. Their MRD test is called ClonoSEQ, and may be what the CAR T-cell patients are using to get a much more sensitive MRD status than the usual tests many of us have had.

adaptivebiotech.com/wp-cont...

Alas, they do not appear to be licensed in Europe or the UK yet. There is a T-Cell test using different technology in the UK, though:

privateharleystreetclinic.c...

=seymour=

[Harvist in reply to SeymourB]

Thanks for this. Always interesting to see how far down the road each country's health system goes with all this.