Abstract
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a zoonotic viral respiratory disease caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), associated with severe clinical outcomes and high mortality.
Our study examined the kinetics of anti-MERS-CoV IgM and IgG antibodies during the acute and convalescent phases of infection, focusing on their correlations with clinical variables such as age and viral load.
Serum samples were collected from PCR-confirmed MERS-CoV patients (n = 23) during both phases and compared to healthy controls (n = 23) using validated ELISA-based assays.
IgM levels peaked in the acute phase and declined significantly in the convalescent phase, while IgG levels were sustained and markedly higher during recovery. Correlation analyses revealed positive relationships between antibody levels and patient age (acute IgM: r = 0.56, p < 0.01; convalescent IgG: r = 0.59, p < 0.01) and viral loads (acute IgM: r = 0.97, p < 0.0001; acute IgG: r = 0.87, p < 0.0001; convalescent IgG: r = 0.91, p < 0.0001). These results concluded that age-associated enhancements in antibody responses and the role of humoral immunity in viral clearance.
The current study highlights the diagnostic value of anti-MERS-CoV IgM and IgG measurements and their utility in developing therapeutic and vaccine strategies adapted to high-risk populations.