Affiliation:
1. School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat‐Sen University Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangdong Shenzhen China
2. Shenzhen Academy of Metrology and Quality Inspection Shenzhen China
3. The 74(th) Group Army Hospital Guangzhou China
4. Department of Infectious Diseases The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou Guangdong China
5. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat‐sen University) Guangzhou China
Abstract
AbstractWhile micronutrients are crucial for immune function, their impact on humoral responses to inactivated COVID‐19 vaccination remains unclear. We investigated the associations between seven key micronutrients and antibody responses in 44 healthy adults with two doses of an inactivated COVID‐19 vaccine. Blood samples were collected pre‐vaccination and 28 days post‐booster. We measured circulating minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and selenium) and vitamins (A, D, and E) concentrations alongside antibody responses and assessed their associations using linear regression analyses. Our analysis revealed inverse associations between blood iron and zinc concentrations and anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgM antibody binding affinity (AUC for iron: β = −258.21, p < 0.0001; zinc: β = −17.25, p = 0.0004). Notably, antibody quality presented complex relationships. Blood selenium was positively associated (β = 18.61, p = 0.0030), while copper/selenium ratio was inversely associated (β = −1.36, p = 0.0055) with the neutralizing ability against SARS‐CoV‐2 virus at a 1:10 plasma dilution. There was no significant association between circulating micronutrient concentrations and anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG binding affinity. These findings suggest that circulating iron, zinc, and selenium concentrations and copper/selenium ratio, may serve as potential biomarkers for both quantity (binding affinity) and quality (neutralization) of humoral responses after inactivated COVID‐19 vaccination. Furthermore, they hint at the potential of pre‐vaccination dietary interventions, such as selenium supplementation, to improve vaccine efficacy. However, larger, diverse studies are needed to validate these findings. This research advances the understanding of the impact of micronutrients on vaccine response, offering the potential for personalized vaccination strategies.