Abstract
Background: Although in the early pandemic period COVID-19 pathology among young children and infants was typically less severe compared with that observed among adults, this has not remained entirely consistent as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have emerged. There is an enormous body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of human milk antibodies (Abs) in protecting infants against a wide range of enteric and respiratory infections. It is highly plausible that the same holds true for protection against SARS-CoV-2 as this virus infects cells of the gastrointestinal and respiratory mucosae. Understanding the durability of a human milk Ab response over time after infection is critical. Objective: Previously, we examined the Abs present in milk of those recently infected with SARS-CoV-2 and concluded that the response was secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) dominant and that these titers were highly correlated with neutralization potency. The present study aimed to monitor the durability of the SARS-CoV-2 IgA and secretory Ab (sAb) response in milk from COVID-19-recovered lactating individuals over 12 months in the absence of vaccination or reinfection. Results: This analysis revealed a robust and durable spike-specific milk sIgA response, and at 9-12 months after infection, 88% of the samples exhibited titers above the positive cutoff for IgA and 94% were above the cutoff for sAb. Fifty percent of participants exhibited less than twofold reduction of spike-specific IgA through 12 months. A strong, significant positive correlation between IgA and sAb against spike persisted throughout the study period. Nucleocapsid-specific Abs were also assessed, which revealed significant background or cross-reactivity of milk IgA against this immunogen, as well as limited/inconsistent durability compared with Spike titers. Conclusion: These data suggest that lactating individuals are likely to continue producing spike-specific Abs in their milk for 1 year or more, which may provide critical passive immunity to infants against SARS-CoV-2 throughout the lactation period.