Colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) is an effective screening method for identifying detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies

Xinjie Li; Yue Yin; Ling Pang; Shuyun Xu; Fengmin Lu; Dong Xu; Tao Shen

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2021.05.080

Colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) is an effective screening method for identifying detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies

Int J Infect Dis. 2021 Jul:108:483-486. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.05.080. Epub 2021 Jun 6.

Authors

Xinjie Li¹, Yue Yin², Ling Pang³, Shuyun Xu⁴, Fengmin Lu⁵, Dong Xu⁶, Tao Shen⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: xinjieli@hsc.pku.edu.cn.
² Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: yuey@bjmu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. Electronic address: 3283664636@qq.com.
⁴ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Diseases of Health Ministry, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. Electronic address: sxu@hust.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: lu.fengmin@bjmu.edu.cn.
⁶ Department of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. Electronic address: 89650793@qq.com.
⁷ Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: taoshen@hsc.pku.edu.cn.

Abstract

Introduction: A large number of COVID-19 patients are in recovery, and millions of people are vaccinated for COVID-19 globally. This calls for a rapid screening strategy of SARS-CoV-2 protective antibodies, generated in rehabilitated and vaccinated populations.

Methods: Serum samples collected over a follow-up period of six months from 306 COVID-19 cases discharged from Wuhan Tongji Hospital were analyzed. Anti-S Abs were detected by colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA), and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were detected by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA).

Results: Most COVID-19 survivors tested positive for anti-S Abs (83.7%) and nAbs (98.0%) 6 months after being discharged from the hospital, and the levels of anti-S Abs in the blood were highly positively correlated with nAbs (r = 0.652, P < 0.0001). The positivity rate of nAbs for patients with anti-S Abs positive was 100%.

Conclusions: There is a good agreement between anti-S Abs detected by GICA and nAbs detected by CMIA. It indicates that anti-S Abs detected by GICA may be used as a cheaper screening strategy for detectable SARS-CoV-2 nAbs in COVID-19 convalescent individuals.

Keywords: COVID-19; Colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA); Neutralizing antibody; SARS-CoV-2.

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Neutralizing*
Antibodies, Viral
COVID-19*
Gold Colloid
Humans
Immunoassay
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Gold Colloid