{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T16:00:13Z","timestamp":1753891213337,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]],"date-time":"2022-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1657238400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for COVID-19 disease which is known to have a broad clinical spectrum, from asymptomatic to critical presentation leading to death. Many researchers have investigated the factors impacting the course of the disease. Our previous <jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic> study suggested a possible protective effect of Hepatitis B, Tetanus and Measles vaccines against COVID-19. In continuity, we conducted a cross-sectional clinical study in order to confirm our <jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic> assumptions regarding the HBs-Ag antibodies.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A representative sex- and age-matched sample of patients with confirmed COVID-19 was selected (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 340). All clinical presentations were equally represented. Using an ELISA test, each patient benefited of a serology for the detection and measurement of the anti-HBs specific IgG antibodies. The obtained results allowed determining the different correlations between these antibody titers and the disease severity. The R<jats:sup>\u00ae<\/jats:sup> software and the MedCalc<jats:sup>\u00ae<\/jats:sup> software served to calculate the Spearman's coefficient of rank correlation (rho) for the obtained titers per severity group as well as the different other calculations and figure representations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A significant positive correlation was found with the anti-HBs titers (rho = 0.107; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.04). High anti-HBs titers were significantly associated with the mild presentation of COVID-19. A significant difference was found between the obtained titers per severity class (chi-2 test, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.03).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion\/Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our findings demonstrated that anti-HBs titers were significantly higher for patients having mild COVID-19 presentations. We presume that being immunized against the HB may play a protective role in the course of the disease. Our study provided more key elements in understanding the disparity of the clinical spectrum among regions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2022.909660","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]],"date-time":"2022-07-08T08:46:11Z","timestamp":1657269971000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Presumed Protective Role for Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Antibodies Against COVID-19 Severe Cases: A Clinical Study Confirming in silico 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