Antibody Detection and Dynamic Characteristics in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019. (19th April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiang, Fei; Wang, Xiaorong; He, Xinliang; Peng, Zhenghong; Yang, Bohan; Zhang, Jianchu; Zhou, Qiong; Ye, Hong; Ma, Yanling; Li, Hui; Wei, Xiaoshan; Cai, Pengcheng; Ma, Wan-Li
• Is Part Of: Clinical infectious diseases. Volume 71:Number 8(2020)
• Page Start: 1930
• Page End: 1934
• Publication Date: 2020-04-19
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 -- COVID-19 -- serological test -- ELISA -- diagnosis; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; 616.905
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa461
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1058-4838

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been rapidly spreading nationwide and abroad. A serologic test to identify antibody dynamics and response to SARS-CoV-2 was developed. Methods: The antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the recombinant nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 at 3–40 days after symptom onset. The gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis was nucleic acid testing for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). The serodiagnostic power of the specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was investigated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and consistency rate. Results: The seroconversion of specific IgM and IgG antibodies were observed as early as the fourth day after symptom onset. In the patients with confirmed COVID-19, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and consistency rate of IgM were 77.3% (51/66), 100%, 100%, 80.0%, and 88.1%, respectively, and those of IgG were 83.3% (55/66), 95.0%, 94.8%, 83.8%, and 88.9%. In patients with suspected COVID-19, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and consistency rate of IgM were 87.5% (21/24), 100%, 100%, 95.2%, and 96.4%, respectively, and those of IgG were 70.8% (17/24), 96.6%, 85.0%, 89.1%, and 88.1%. Both antibodies performed well in serodiagnosis for COVID-19 and rely on great specificity. Conclusions: The antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the middle and later stages of the illness. Antibody detection may play an important role in the diagnosis of COVID-19 as a complementary approach to viral nucleic acid assays. Abstract : Antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can be detected in the middle and later stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Antibody detection may play an important role in the diagnosis of COVID-19 as a complementary approach to viral nucleic acid assays.