Correlation among SARS-CoV-2-, avian coronavirus infectious
bronchitis virus-, SARS-CoV-2 peptide-, rhinovirus-, human herpesvirus
4-specific IgG in poultry farm personnel, COVID-19 patients, and
pre-COVID-19 controls
A positive correlation between IBV-specific IgG and SARS-CoV-2-specific
IgG may be indicative of the presence of cross-reactive antibodies. The
strongest positive correlations between SARS-CoV-2- and IBV-specific IgG
were observed in poultry farm personnel (Figure 5A, marked by green
square), while there were no significant positive correlations between
SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific IgG and IBV-specific IgG in COVID-19
patients. Only one negative correlation (r=-0.3456; p<0.05)
was found between N-specific IgG and 4/91-specific IgG in COVID-19
patients (Figure 5B, marked by green square). We observed moderate
positive correlations in the pre-pandemic control group between
IS/1494/06- and S1- specific IgG, 4/91- and RBD-specific IgG,
IS/1494/06- and RBD-specific IgG, M41- and RBD-specific IgG, D274- and
RBD-specific IgG, IS/1494/06- and S2-specific IgG, 4/91- and N-specific
IgG, IS/1494/06- and N- specific IgG, and M41- and N-specific IgG
(Figure 5C, marked by green square). The individual graphs of Spearman
correlation analysis for each SARS-CoV-2 and IBV antigens are shown in
Figure S5A-C. Only the significant correlations are shown.
There were no significant correlations between SARS-CoV-2
peptide-specific IgG and IBV-specific IgG in poultry farm personnel
(Figure 5A, marked by yellow rectangle). We observed negative
correlations between several SARS-CoV-2 peptide-specific IgG and
IBV-specific IgG in COVID-19 patients and pre-pandemic control group
(Figure 5B,C, marked by yellow rectangle). The only significant positive
correlation in poultry farm personnel between SARS-CoV-2 antigen- and
SARS-CoV-2 peptide-specific IgG was between N- and N (153-176)-specific
IgG (Figure 5A, marked by red rectangle). In contrast, COVID-19 patients
showed significant positive correlations between all SARS-CoV-2 antigen-
and SARS-CoV-2 peptide-specific IgG except for ORF3a (172-205)- and S
(807-830)-specific IgG and N (153-176)- and S2-specific IgG not (Figure
5B, marked by red rectangle).
Spearman correlation results of IgG OD ratios of vaccine implementers
and poultry workers were presented in Table S8 and were compared via
their r values. There were remarkable differences in the level of
correlations between SARS-CoV-2 antigen- and IBV-specific IgG OD ratios
in 4/91 (S2 and N), IS/1494/06 (S1), D274 (S2). In this context, vaccine
implementers had higher r values compared to poultry workers in Spearman
correlation analysis (Figure S6A,B; Table S8).
The S1-, RBD-, and N-specific IgG negatively correlated with both
rhinovirus- and human herpesvirus 4-specific IgG in COVID-19 patients.
There were no significant correlations between SARS-CoV-2- and
rhinovirus-, SARS-CoV-2-, and human herpesvirus 4-specific IgG in
poultry farm personnel and pre-pandemic control group (Figure 5A-C).