Soluble ACE2 correlates with severe COVID-19 and can impair antibody responses

Identifying immune modulators that impact neutralizing antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is of great relevance. We postulated that high serum concentrations of soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) might mask the spike and interfere with antibody maturation toward the SARS-CoV-2-receptor-binding motif (RBM). We tested 717 longitudinal samples from 295 COVID-19 patients and showed a 2- to 10-fold increase of enzymatically active sACE2 (a-sACE2), with up to 1 

• Lebedin, M.
• Ratswohl, C.
• Garg, A.
• Schips, M.
• García, C. V.
• Spatt, L.
• Thibeault, C.
• Obermayer, B.
• Weiner, J.
• Velásquez, I. M.
• Gerhard, C.
• Stubbemann, P.
• Hanitsch, L. G.
• Pischon, T.
• Witzenrath, M.
• Sander, L. E.
• Kurth, F.
• Meyer-Hermann, M.
• de la Rosa, K.