Exploring beyond clinical routine SARS-CoV-2 serology using MultiCoV-Ab to evaluate endemic coronavirus cross-reactivity

Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 19;12(1):1152. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-20973-3.

Abstract

The humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is a benchmark for immunity and detailed analysis is required to understand the manifestation and progression of COVID-19, monitor seroconversion within the general population, and support vaccine development. The majority of currently available commercial serological assays only quantify the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response against individual antigens, limiting our understanding of the immune response. To overcome this, we have developed a multiplex immunoassay (MultiCoV-Ab) including spike and nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and the endemic human coronaviruses. Compared to three broadly used commercial in vitro diagnostic tests, our MultiCoV-Ab achieves a higher sensitivity and specificity when analyzing a well-characterized sample set of SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected individuals. We find a high response against endemic coronaviruses in our sample set, but no consistent cross-reactive IgG response patterns against SARS-CoV-2. Here we show a robust, high-content-enabled, antigen-saving multiplex assay suited to both monitoring vaccination studies and facilitating epidemiologic screenings for humoral immunity towards pandemic and endemic coronaviruses.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • COVID-19 Serological Testing / methods*
  • Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins / immunology
  • Cross Reactions*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Humoral*
  • Immunoassay
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Phosphoproteins / immunology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • nucleocapsid phosphoprotein, SARS-CoV-2
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2