scholarly journals Detection of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by using a commercial surrogate virus neutralization ELISA: can it substitute the classical neutralization test?

Author(s):  
Natalie E Hofmann ◽  
Marica Grossegesse ◽  
Markus Neumann ◽  
Lars Schaade ◽  
Andreas Nitsche

Background: High-throughput detection of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 presents a valuable tool for vaccine trials or investigations of population immunity. We evaluate the performance of the first commercial surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT, GenScript Biotech) against SARS-CoV-2 plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) in convalescent and vaccinated individuals. We compare it to five other ELISAs, two of which are designed to detect neutralizing antibodies. Results: In 491 pre-vaccination serum samples, sVNT missed 23.6% of PRNT-positive samples when using the manufacturer-recommended cutoff of 30% binding inhibition. Introducing a equivocal area between 15 and 35% maximized sensitivity and specificity against PRNT to 72.8-93.1 % and 73.5-97.6%, respectively. The overall diagnostic performance of the other ELISAs for neutralizing antibodies was below that of sVNT. Vaccinated individuals exhibited higher antibody titers by PRNT (median 119.8, IQR 56.7-160) and binding inhibition by sVNT (median 95.7, IQR 88.1-96.8) than convalescent patients (median 49.1, IQR 20-62; median 52.9, IQR 31.2-76.2). Conclusion: GenScript sVNT is suitable to screen for SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies; however, to obtain accurate results, confirmatory testing by PRNT in a equivocal area is required. This equivocal area may require adaptation for use in vaccinated individuals, due to higher antibody titers.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonin Bal ◽  
Bruno Pozzetto ◽  
Mary-Anne Trabaud ◽  
Vanessa Escuret ◽  
Muriel Rabilloud ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe association between SARS-CoV-2 commercial serological assays and virus neutralization test (VNT) has been poorly explored in mild COVID-19 patients.MethodsA total of 439 serum specimens were longitudinally collected from 76 healthcare workers with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19. The sensitivity (determined weekly) of nine commercial serological assays were evaluated. Specificity was assessed using 69 pre-pandemic sera. Correlation, agreement and concordance with the VNT were also assessed on a subset of 170 samples. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) was estimated at several neutralizing antibody titers.ResultsThe Wantai Total Ab assay targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) within the S protein presented the best sensitivity at different times during the course of disease. The specificity was greater than 95% for all tests except for the Euroimmun IgA assay. The overall agreement with the presence of neutralizing antibodies ranged from 62.2% (95%CI; 56.0-68.1) for bioMérieux IgM to 91.2% (87.0-94.2) for Siemens. The lowest negative percent agreement (NPA) was found with the Wantai Total Ab assay (NPA 33% (21.1-48.3)). The NPA for other total Ab or IgG assays targeting the S or the RBD was 80.7% (66.7-89.7), 90.3 (78.1-96.1) and 96.8% (86.8-99.3) for Siemens, bioMérieux IgG and DiaSorin, respectively. None of commercial assays have sufficient performance to detect a neutralizing titer of 80 (AUC<0.76).ConclusionsAlthough some assays presented a better agreement with VNT than others, the present findings emphasize that commercialized serological tests including those targeting the RBD cannot substitute a VNT for the assessment of functional antibody response.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiqi Ruben Luo ◽  
Cassandra Yun ◽  
Indrani Chakraborty ◽  
Alan H.B. Wu ◽  
Kara L. Lynch

AbstractBackgroundThe laboratory-based methods to measure the SARS-CoV-2 humoral response include virus neutralization tests (VNTs) to determine antibody neutralization potency. For ease of use and universal applicability, surrogate virus neutralization tests (sVNTs) based on antibody-mediated blockage of molecular interactions have been proposed.MethodsA surrogate virus neutralization test established on a label-free immunoassay platform (LF-sVNT). The LF-sVNT analyzes the binding ability of RBD to ACE2 after neutralizing RBD with antibodies in serum.ResultsThe LF-sVNT neutralizing antibody titers (IC50) were determined from serum samples (n=246) from COVID-19 patients (n=113), as well as the IgG concentrations and the IgG avidity indices. Although there is variability in the kinetics of the IgG concentrations and neutralizing antibody titers between individuals, there is an initial rise, plateau and then in some cases a gradual decline at later timepoints after 40 days post-symptom onset. The IgG avidity indices, in the same cases, plateau after the initial rise and did not show a decline.ConclusionsThe LF-sVNT can be a valuable tool in clinical laboratories for the assessment of the presence of neutralizing antibodies to COVID-19. This study is the first to provide longitudinal neutralizing antibody titers beyond 200 days post-symptom onset. Despite the decline of IgG concentration and neutralizing antibody titer, IgG avidity index increases, reaches a plateau and then remains constant up to 8 months post-infection. The decline of antibody neutralization potency can be attributed to the reduction in antibody quantity rather than the deterioration of antibody avidity, a measure of antibody quality.SummaryA surrogate virus neutralization test established on a label-free immunoassay platform (LF-sVNT). Using the LF-sVNT and other assays, 246 serum samples from 113 COVID-19 patients were measured. We observed the time course of antibody characteristics beyond 200 days post-symptom onset.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonin Bal ◽  
Bruno Pozzetto ◽  
Mary-Anne Trabaud ◽  
Vanessa Escuret ◽  
Muriel Rabilloud ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The association between SARS-CoV-2 commercial serological assays and virus neutralization test (VNT) has been poorly explored in mild patients with COVID-19. Methods 439 serum specimens were longitudinally collected from 76 healthcare workers with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19. The clinical sensitivity (determined weekly) of nine commercial serological assays were evaluated. Clinical specificity was assessed using 69 pre-pandemic sera. Correlation, agreement and concordance with the VNT were also assessed on a subset of 170 samples. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) was estimated at 2 neutralizing antibody titers. Results The Wantai Total Ab assay targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) within the S protein presented the best sensitivity at different times during the course of disease. The clinical specificity was greater than 95% for all tests except for the Euroimmun IgA assay. The overall agreement with the presence of neutralizing antibodies ranged from 62.2% (95%CI; 56.0-68.1) for bioMérieux IgM to 91.2% (87.0-94.2) for Siemens. The lowest negative percent agreement (NPA) was found with the Wantai Total Ab assay (NPA 33% (21.1-48.3)). The NPA for other total Ab or IgG assays targeting the S or the RBD was 80.7% (66.7-89.7), 90.3 (78.1-96.1) and 96.8% (86.8-99.3) for Siemens, bioMérieux IgG and DiaSorin, respectively. None of commercial assays have sufficient performance to detect a neutralizing titer of 80 (AUC&lt;0.76). Conclusions Although some assays show a better agreement with VNT than others, the present findings emphasize that commercialized serological tests including those targeting the RBD cannot substitute a VNT for the assessment of functional antibody response.


Author(s):  
Diana K. Meza ◽  
Alice Broos ◽  
Daniel J. Becker ◽  
Abdelkader Behdenna ◽  
Brian J. Willett ◽  
...  

SummarySerology is a core component of the surveillance and management of viral zoonoses. Virus neutralization tests are a gold standard serological diagnostic, but requirements for large volumes of serum and high biosafety containment can limit widespread use. Here, focusing on Rabies lyssavirus, a globally important zoonosis, we developed a pseudotype micro-neutralization rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (pmRFFIT) that overcomes these limitations. Specifically, we adapted an existing micro-neutralization test to use a green fluorescent protein–tagged murine leukemia virus pseudotype in lieu of pathogenic rabies virus, reducing the need for specialized reagents for antigen detection and enabling use in low-containment laboratories. We further used statistical analysis to generate rapid, quantitative predictions of the probability and titer of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies from microscopic imaging of neutralization outcomes. Using 47 serum samples from domestic dogs with neutralizing antibody titers estimated using the fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN), pmRFFIT showed moderate sensitivity (78.79%) and high specificity (84.62%). Despite small conflicts, titer predictions were correlated across tests repeated on different dates both for dog samples (r = 0.93), and for a second dataset of sera from wild common vampire bats (r = 0.72, N = 41), indicating repeatability. Our test uses a starting volume of 3.5 μL of serum, estimates titers from a single dilution of serum rather than requiring multiple dilutions and end point titration, and may be adapted to target neutralizing antibodies against alternative lyssavirus species. The pmRFFIT enables high-throughput detection of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies in low-biocontainment settings and is suited to studies in wild or captive animals where large serum volumes cannot be obtained.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 593
Author(s):  
Václav Šimánek ◽  
Ladislav Pecen ◽  
Zuzana Krátká ◽  
Tomáš Fürst ◽  
Hana Řezáčková ◽  
...  

There is an ongoing debate as to whether SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be found in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 disease. Currently, there is no consensus on whether the antibodies, if present, are protective. Our regular measurements of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, starting in July 2020, have provided us with the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the five different immunoassays. A total of 149 patients were enrolled in our study. We measured the samples using each immunoassay, then performing a virus neutralization test and comparing the results of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with this test. We observed that the production of neutralizing antibodies is age-dependent. Elderly patients have a higher proportion of high neutralizing titers than young patients. Based on our results, and in combination with the literature findings, we can conclude that the serological SARS-CoV-2 antibody measurement is a helpful tool in the fight against COVID-19. The assays can provide information about the patient’s previous contact with the virus. Anti-spike protein assays correlate well with the virus neutralization test and can be used in the screening of potential convalescent plasma donors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Martins ◽  
João Motta de Quadros ◽  
Eduardo Furtado Flores ◽  
Rudi Weiblen

ABSTRACT: The antibody response to rabies virus (RABV) induced by commercial vaccines in heifers was investigated. For this, 84 heifers were vaccinated twice (30 days interval) with each of four vaccines (G1 = 14 animals; G2 = 24; G3 = 22 and G4 = 24) and received a booster vaccination 360 days later. Serum samples collected at different intervals after vaccination and 30 days after booster were submitted to a virus neutralizing (VN) assay for RABV antibodies. Thirty days after the second vaccine dose, 92% of the immunized animals presented VN titers ≥0.5UI/mL (geometric medium titers [GMT] 1.7 to 3.8UI/mL). At the day of the booster (360 days post-vaccination); however, the percentage of animals harboring antibody titers ≥0.5UI/mL had dropped to 31% (0-80% of the animals, depending on the vaccine), resulting in lower GMT (0.1 to 0.6UI/mL). Booster vaccination at day 360 resulted in a detectable anamnestic response in all groups, resulting in 83% of animals (65 to 100%) harboring VN titers ≥0.5UI/mL thirty days later (GMT 0.6 to 4.3UI/mL). These results indicated that these vaccines were able to induce an adequate anti-RABV response in all animals after prime vaccination (and after booster as well). However, the titers decreased, reaching titers <0.5UI/mL in approximately 70% of animals within the interval before the recommended booster. Thus, booster vaccination for rabies in cattle using the current vaccines should be performed before the recommended one-year interval, as to maintain neutralizing antibodies levels in most vaccinated animals.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1183-1186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter G. M. van Gageldonk ◽  
Christina von Hunolstein ◽  
Fiona R. M. van der Klis ◽  
Guy A. M. Berbers

ABSTRACTA nonspecific binding of antibodies to diphtheria toxin, especially in adult serum samples, was observed in our diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis multiplex immunoassay (DTaP4 MIA). This can be significantly reduced by the use of diphtheria toxoid, achieving a good correlation with the Vero cell neutralization test and the toxin binding inhibition assay.


1976 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 437-442
Author(s):  
G Gerna ◽  
R W Chambers

A new plaque assay for the quantitation of varicella-zoster virus and a plaque reduction neutralization test for the determination of neutralizing antibody titer have been developed using the indirect immunoperoxidase technique. As compared with the classical plaque assay using a solid overlay, the test gives earlier results since plaque counting can be performed on day 3 after the inoculation of cell cultures. In six patients with zoster infection, neutralizing antibody titers ranged from 1:20 to 1:40 before the onset of infection and reached high levels (1:320 to 1:5,120) during the convalescent phase of the disease. Complement-fixing (CF) titers were all negative (less than 1:8) in prezoster serum samples from the same patients and ranged from 1:128 to 1:2,048 in the convalescent-phase sera. In the two cases in which late serum samples were available, neutralizing antibody titers matched the preillness levels, whereas CF titers dropped to undetectable levels. Neither neutralizing nor CF antibody was detected in two sera from individuals with no history of varicella-zoster infection. No differences in virus titers or neutralizing antibody titers were observed between the immunoperoxidase and the classical plaque assays. The appropriate characterization of reagent specificity is required before routine application of the test.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-An Kung ◽  
Chung-Guei Huang ◽  
Sheng-Yu Huang ◽  
Kuan-Ting Liu ◽  
Peng-Nien Huang ◽  
...  

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of an international standard (IS) for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titer detection, with the aim of calibrating different diagnostic techniques. In this study, IS was applied to calibrate neutralizing antibody titers (IU/mL) and binding antibody titers (BAU/mL) in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Serum samples were collected from participants receiving the Moderna (n = 20) and Pfizer (n = 20) vaccines at three time points: pre-vaccination, after one dose, and after two doses. We obtained geometric mean titers of 1404.16 and 928.75 IU/mL for neutralizing antibodies after two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, respectively. These values provide an important baseline for vaccine development and the implementation of non-inferiority trials. We also compared three commercially available kits from Roche, Abbott, and MeDiPro for the detection of COVID-19 antibodies based on binding affinity to S1 and/or RBD. Our results demonstrated that antibody titers measured by commercial assays are highly correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by IS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 288-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne Guignard ◽  
François Haguinet ◽  
Stéphanie Wéry ◽  
Phirangkul Kerdpanich

Understanding maternal dengue virus (DENV) neutralizing antibody kinetics in infants remains timely to develop a safe and effective childhood immunization. This retrospective study evaluated the prevalence and persistence of maternal antibody titers against DENV serotypes 1 to 4 in 139 Thai infants at 2, 6, and 7 months of age, using serum samples collected in a vaccination trial ( http://clinicaltrials.gov ; NCT00197275). Neutralizing antibodies against all 4 DENV serotypes were detected in 87.8% and 22.9% of infants at 2 and 7 months, respectively. At 2 months, DENV-4 neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers were notably lower (80) compared with DENV-1 to DENV-3 (277-471). Our results corroborate previous findings that DENV-1 to DENV-4 maternal antibodies persist at 7 months despite titers decrease from 2 months onwards. As persisting maternal antibodies may inhibit immune responses in DENV-vaccinated infants, a comprehensive understanding of DENV antibody kinetics is required in the perspective of vaccine development for infants.


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