Antibodies, BMI, and COVID

December 6, 2021

New research has studied the impact of BMI on the production of IgG (Immunoglobulin G) antibodies in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Researchers collected serum samples from 30 patients who tested positive for COVID-19: 15 of which with a BMI < 25 and 15 with a BMI ≥ 30. 30 uninfected individuals served as age-, gender-, and BMI- matched controls.
Following examination of the serum samples, it was concluded that SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced neutralizing antibodies in all of those with a BMI of <25. Only a few of those with a COVID-19 infection and a BMI ≥ 30 presented neutralizing antibodies. Conversely, those whose BMI ≥ 30 recorded higher levels of autoimmune antibodies (autoantibodies).
A neutralizing antibody is an antibody that defends our cells from infectious particles/pathogens by neutralizing any biological effect it has to render it no longer infectious or pathogenic. Autoantibodies, on the other hand, are antibodies produced by the immune system and are directed against the body’s own proteins. The autoantibodies studied in this research were malondialdehyde (MDA)-specific IgG and adipocyte-derived (AD)-specific antibodies. These autoantibodies have been correlated with serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a general marker of inflammation, which has been found to induce oxidative stress and tissue damage in those with obesity.
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