2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-P2.28. Symptomatic vs. Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rates in Lung Cancer: Longitudinal Nucleocapsid Antibody Analysis

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In a study presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in 2023, researchers highlighted the importance of understanding the true incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung cancer patients. The study sought to compare the rates of symptomatic and asymptomatic infections in this vulnerable population.<br /><br />The study utilized a sero-surveillance approach, analyzing the levels of anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies (anti-N) in plasma samples collected from 175 lung cancer patients every 3 months between January 2021 and January 2023. The samples were tested using the Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) assay, and positive results were considered if levels exceeded a certain cutoff.<br /><br />The findings revealed that 42% of the 592 samples analyzed were positive for anti-N antibodies, indicating evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. When considering a 90-day timeframe, the MSD assay displayed a sensitivity of 89%. In total, 61% of lung cancer patients had evidence of anti-N positivity, and among them, 27% experienced a breakthrough infection after primary vaccination.<br /><br />Through longitudinal analysis of the anti-N values, the researchers estimated the number of cases per patient over time. Combining the data from the clinical database and the MSD assay, they found that 68% of the patients had evidence of at least one infection from 2020 through January 2023. The cumulative incidence curve estimated an infection rate of 0.48 within 18 months after being fully vaccinated. The estimated half-life of the anti-N values was 122 days.<br /><br />The study demonstrated that the true incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung cancer patients may be higher than reported by patients and physicians. The researchers emphasized the need for unbiased methods, such as longitudinal serologic analysis of anti-N antibodies, to accurately estimate the occurrence of infections, including those that were unreported or asymptomatic. Further research is being conducted to investigate associations between clinical and serological infections, as well as their impact on treatments and outcomes.<br /><br />Overall, this study provides important insights into the rates of symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung cancer patients, highlighting the significance of serosurveys for a better understanding of the burden of COVID-19 in this vulnerable population.

Asset Subtitle

Fred Hirsch

Meta Tag

Speaker Fred Hirsch

Topic Global Health, Health Services & Health Economics: COVID 19

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2 infection

lung cancer patients

symptomatic infections

asymptomatic infections

sero-surveillance approach

anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies

breakthrough infection

longitudinal analysis

cumulative incidence curve

unreported infections