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Frank MG, Ball JB, Hopkins S, Kelley T, Kuzma AJ, Thompson RS, Fleshner M, Maier SF. SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit produces a protracted priming of the neuroinflammatory, physiological, and behavioral responses to a remote immune challenge: A role for corticosteroids. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 121:87-103. [PMID: 39043345 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Long COVID is a major public health consequence of COVID-19 and is characterized by multiple neurological and neuropsychatric symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 antigens (e.g., spike S1 subunit) are found in the circulation of Long COVID patients, have been detected in post-mortem brain of COVID patients, and exhibit neuroinflammatory properties. Considering recent observations of chronic neuroinflammation in Long COVID patients, the present study explores the idea that antigens derived from SARS-CoV-2 might produce a long-term priming or sensitization of neuroinflammatory processes, thereby potentiating the magnitude and/or duration of the neuroinflammatory response to future inflammatory insults. Rats were administered S1 or vehicle intra-cisterna magna and 7d later challenged with vehicle or LPS. The neuroinflammatory, physiological, and behavioral responses to LPS were measured at various time points post-LPS. We found that prior S1 treatment potentiated many of these responses to LPS suggesting that S1 produces a protracted priming of these processes. Further, S1 produced a protracted reduction in basal brain corticosteroids. Considering the anti-inflammatory properties of corticosteroids, these findings suggest that S1 might disinhibit innate immune processes in brain by reducing anti-inflammatory drive, thereby priming neuroinflammatory processes. Given that hypocortisolism is observed in Long COVID, we propose that similar S1-induced innate immune priming processes might play role in the pathophysiology of Long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Frank
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA; Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA.
| | - Jayson B Ball
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Shelby Hopkins
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Tel Kelley
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Angelina J Kuzma
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Robert S Thompson
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Monika Fleshner
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Steven F Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
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2
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Hagman K, Postigo T, Diez-Castro D, Ursing J, Bermejo-Martin JF, de la Fuente A, Tedim AP. Prevalence and clinical relevance of viraemia in viral respiratory tract infections: a systematic review. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2024:100967. [PMID: 39342950 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.100967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
In this Review, we analysed the prevalence of viraemia during infection with SARS-CoV-2 and other relevant respiratory viruses, including other human coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, human rhinovirus/enterovirus, influenza A and B virus, parainfluenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. First, a preliminary systematic search was conducted to identify articles published before May 23, 2024 that reported on viraemia during infection with respiratory viruses. The articles were then analysed for relevant terms to identify the prevalence of viraemia, its association with the disease severity and long-term consequences, and host responses. A total of 202 articles were included in the final study. The pooled prevalence of viraemia was 34% for SARS-CoV-2 and between 6% and 65% for other viruses. Association of viraemia with disease severity was extensively reported for SARS-CoV-2 and also for SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (albeit with low evidence). SARS-CoV-2 viraemia was linked to memory problems and worsened quality of life. Viraemia was associated with signatures denoting dysregulated host responses. In conclusion, the high prevalence of viraemia and its association with disease severity suggests that viraemia could be a relevant pathophysiological event with important translational implications in respiratory viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Hagman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tamara Postigo
- Group for Biomedical Research in Respiratory Infection & Sepsis (BioSepsis), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Salamanca, Spain
| | - David Diez-Castro
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Group for Biomedical Research in Neuroendocrinology and Obesity, IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Johan Ursing
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesús F Bermejo-Martin
- Group for Biomedical Research in Respiratory Infection & Sepsis (BioSepsis), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Amanda de la Fuente
- Group for Biomedical Research in Respiratory Infection & Sepsis (BioSepsis), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana P Tedim
- Group for Biomedical Research in Respiratory Infection & Sepsis (BioSepsis), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Singh K, Rubenstein K, Callier V, Shaw-Saliba K, Rupert A, Dewar R, Laverdure S, Highbarger H, Lallemand P, Huang ML, Jerome KR, Sampoleo R, Mills MG, Greninger AL, Juneja K, Porter D, Benson CA, Dempsey W, El Sahly HM, Focht C, Jilg N, Paules CI, Rapaka RR, Uyeki TM, Clifford Lane H, Beigel J, Dodd LE. SARS-CoV-2 RNA and Nucleocapsid Antigen Are Blood Biomarkers Associated With Severe Disease Outcomes That Improve in Response to Remdesivir. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:624-634. [PMID: 38657001 PMCID: PMC11420797 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although antivirals remain important for the treatment COVID-19, methods to assess treatment efficacy are lacking. Here, we investigated the impact of remdesivir on viral dynamics and their contribution to understanding antiviral efficacy in the multicenter Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial 1, which randomized patients to remdesivir or placebo. METHODS Longitudinal specimens collected during hospitalization from a substudy of 642 patients with COVID-19 were measured for viral RNA (upper respiratory tract and plasma), viral nucleocapsid antigen (serum), and host immunologic markers. Associations with clinical outcomes and response to therapy were assessed. RESULTS Higher baseline plasma viral loads were associated with poorer clinical outcomes, and decreases in viral RNA and antigen in blood but not the upper respiratory tract correlated with enhanced benefit from remdesivir. The treatment effect of remdesivir was most pronounced in patients with elevated baseline nucleocapsid antigen levels: the recovery rate ratio was 1.95 (95% CI, 1.40-2.71) for levels >245 pg/mL vs 1.04 (95% CI, .76-1.42) for levels <245 pg/mL. Remdesivir also accelerated the rate of viral RNA and antigen clearance in blood, and patients whose blood levels decreased were more likely to recover and survive. CONCLUSIONS Reductions in SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antigen levels in blood correlated with clinical benefit from antiviral therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT04280705 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanal Singh
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda
| | - Kevin Rubenstein
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
| | - Viviane Callier
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
| | | | - Adam Rupert
- National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Robin Dewar
- National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | | | | | | | - Meei-Li Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington
| | - Keith R Jerome
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Reigran Sampoleo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington
| | - Margaret G Mills
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington
| | - Alexander L Greninger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington
| | | | | | | | - Walla Dempsey
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda
| | - Hana M El Sahly
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Nikolaus Jilg
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Catharine I Paules
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Rekha R Rapaka
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Timothy M Uyeki
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - H Clifford Lane
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda
| | - John Beigel
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda
| | - Lori E Dodd
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda
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4
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Wang D, Shen Y, Wu J, Li Y, Ma K, Jiang G, Li X, Qin H, Chen K, Wu Z, Guan M. Utility of plasma nucleocapsid protein in predicting severity and prognosis in severe COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. Clin Chim Acta 2024; 565:119951. [PMID: 39216815 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2024.119951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic poses ongoing challenges to global public health systems, emphasizing the critical necessity for efficient diagnostic and prognostic markers. This study evaluates the MAGLUMI® SARS-CoV-2 Ag N protein chemiluminescent immunoassay (MAG-CLIA) for its analytical performance and its role in predicting disease severity and prognosis among severe COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. METHODS Analytical validation of plasma MAG-CLIA SARS-CoV-2 Ag N protein encompassed precision, interference, LoQ and linearity. Plasma N protein concentrations and other biomarkers were measured within 48 h of admission, tracked until discharge or death. The Mann-Whitney U test explored the association between plasma N protein and COVID-19 severity or prognosis. Longitudinal monitoring of plasma N protein dynamics was conducted in representative patients. RESULTS MAG-CLIA demonstrated precise quantification of plasma N protein with a CV below 10 % and minimal interference. The LoQ was 0.88 ng/L, with a broad linear range. Plasma N protein showed high diagnostic accuracy for COVID-19, achieving 95.42 % specificity and 78.32 % sensitivity at 2.388 ng/L. Plasma N protein emerged as a valuable prognostic indicator, correlating with mechanical ventilation need and patient survival. Plasma N protein concentrations ≥ 424.3 ng/L (AUC 0.8102, sensitivity 78.38 %, specificity 85.48 %) were associated with poor prognosis in severe COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS MAG-CLIA's SARS-CoV-2 N protein detection in plasma demonstrates both analytical reliability and clinical relevance in our inaugural evaluation. As a promising prognostic biomarker for severe COVID-19 patients, it offers crucial insights into disease severity and progression, emphasizing the significance of early monitoring and intervention, especially for patients with comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Yutao Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Jianbo Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Yaju Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Ke Ma
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201907, China
| | - Guangjie Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Xiangyu Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Huanhuan Qin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Kun Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Ming Guan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
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5
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de la Fuente A, Postigo T, Sanus Ferri F, Domínguez-Gil M, Álvarez-Manzanares J, Eiros JM, Carbajosa Rodríguez V, Sanchez Ramon S, Ortega A, Fadrique Millán LN, Vaquero-Roncero LM, Esteban-Velasco C, Navarro-Matías E, Barbé F, Bermejo-Martin JF, Lopez-Izquierdo R. Synergistic impact of N-antigenemia profiled by a rapid antigen test and low anti-S1 antibodies on the risk of hospitalization in COVID-19. Int J Infect Dis 2024; 140:132-135. [PMID: 38311026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Identifying patients with COVID-19 who are at risk of poor evolution is key to early decide on their hospitalization. We evaluated the combined impact of nucleocapsid (N)-antigenemia profiled by a rapid test and antibodies against the S1 subunit of the SARS-CoV S protein (S1) on the hospitalization risk of patients with COVID-19. METHODS N-antigenemia and anti-S1 antibodies were profiled at admission to the emergency department in 146 patients with COVID-19 using the Panbio® antigen Rapid Test and the SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G II Quant/SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G assay from Abbott. A multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the impact of these factors on hospitalization. RESULTS Patients with a positive N-antigen test in plasma and anti-S1 levels <2821 arbitrary units/mL needed hospitalization more frequently (20 of 23, 87%). A total of 20 of 71 (28.2%) of those showing a negative N-antigen test and anti-S1 ≥2821 arbitrary units/mL were hospitalized for 18 of 52 (34.6%) of the patients with only one of these conditions. Patients with a positive N-antigen test and low antibody levels showed an odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and P-value for hospitalization of 18.21, 2.74-121.18, and 0.003, respectively, and exhibited the highest mortality (30.4%). CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous profiling of a rapid N-antigen test in plasma and anti-S1 levels could help to early identify patients with COVID-19 needing hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda de la Fuente
- Group for Biomedical Research in Sepsis (BioSepsis). Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Paseo de San Vicente, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tamara Postigo
- Group for Biomedical Research in Sepsis (BioSepsis). Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Paseo de San Vicente, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Francisco Sanus Ferri
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB07/06/2008), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Domínguez-Gil
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Microbiology Service, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jesús Álvarez-Manzanares
- Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jose María Eiros
- Microbiology Service, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Virginia Carbajosa Rodríguez
- Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Susana Sanchez Ramon
- Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alicia Ortega
- Group for Biomedical Research in Sepsis (BioSepsis). Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Paseo de San Vicente, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura N Fadrique Millán
- Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Luis Mario Vaquero-Roncero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Anaesthesiology and Reanimation Service, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Carmen Esteban-Velasco
- Department of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL) and Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Elena Navarro-Matías
- Primary Care Research Unit of Salamanca (APISAL), Salamanca Primary Care Management, Salamanca, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain; Castilla and León Health Service-SACYL, Gerencia Regional de Salud, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Ferran Barbé
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB07/06/2008), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova and Santa Maria, IRB Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Jesús F Bermejo-Martin
- Group for Biomedical Research in Sepsis (BioSepsis). Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, (IBSAL), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Paseo de San Vicente, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Raul Lopez-Izquierdo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, CB22/06/00035), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
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Krčmová LK, Matoušová K, Javorská L, Šmahel P, Skála M, Koblížek V, Škop J, Turoňová D, Gančarčíková M, Melichar B. Neopterin and kynurenine in serum and urine as prognostic biomarkers in hospitalized patients with delta and omicron variant SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clin Chem Lab Med 2023; 61:2053-2064. [PMID: 37285602 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Currently, no biomarker or scoring system could clearly identify patients at risk of progression to a severe coronavirus disease (COVID)-19. Even in patients with known risk factors, the fulminant course cannot be predicted with certainty. Analysis of commonly determined clinical parameters (frailty score, age, or body mass index) together with routine biomarkers of host response (C-reactive protein and viral nucleocapsid protein) in combination with new biomarkers neopterin, kynurenine, and tryptophan, could aid in predicting the patient outcome. METHODS In 2021 and 2022, urine and serum samples were prospectively collected on 1st to 4th day after hospital admission in 108 consecutive COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the University Hospital Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. Delta and omicron virus variants were studied. Neopterin, kynurenine and tryptophan were determined by liquid chromatography. RESULTS A significant correlation was observed between urinary and serum biomarker concentrations. Urinary and serum neopterin, kynurenine and kynurenine/tryptophan ratio were significantly (p≤0.05) higher in patients who subsequently needed oxygen therapy vs. patients without oxygen therapy. These parameters were also significantly increased in patients who died during the hospitalization compared to survivors. Complex equations have been derived using the investigated biomarkers and other clinical or laboratory parameters to predict the risk of subsequent oxygen therapy or death during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Present data demonstrate that neopterin, kynurenine and kynurenine/tryptophan ratio in the serum or in the urine represent promising biomarkers in the management of COVID-19 that may help to guide important therapeutic decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Kujovská Krčmová
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Matoušová
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Javorská
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Šmahel
- Deparment of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Mikuláš Skála
- Pulmonary Department, University Hospital in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Koblížek
- Pulmonary Department, University Hospital in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Škop
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Dorota Turoňová
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Gančarčíková
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Bohuslav Melichar
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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7
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Lindahl AL, Ahava MJ, Haukipää M, Kreivi HR, Lipponen A, Kortela E. Successful treatment of persisting SARS-CoV-2 infection in an immunocompromised patient with repeated nirmatrelvir/ritonavir courses: a case report. Infect Dis (Lond) 2023; 55:585-589. [PMID: 37334428 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2023.2223274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In immunocompromised patients, persistent SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding and relapsing COVID-19 pneumonia have been described. Currently, little is known about the management of persisting COVID-19, and immunocompromised patients are recommended to be treated using antivirals and immunomodulatory therapies at similar doses and durations as the general population. Previous case reports have described treatment with repeated and prolonged courses of remdesivir and some evidence is emerging in the use of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir combination (NMV/r). METHODS We describe a patient with recent chemotherapy including rituximab for follicular lymphoma with persisting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Polymerase chain reaction tests (PCR), cycle threshold values and blood SARS-CoV-2 antigen levels were evaluated. RESULTS The patient presented with persisting SARS-CoV-2 with relapsing COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient was treated successfully with repeated courses of NMV/r without any observed adverse effects. After the third, prolonged course, the patient remained afebrile and PCR negative, and no relapses have been observed four months after the third NMV/r course. CONCLUSIONS Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir could offer a more accessible alternative to remdesivir. Further research and guidelines for persisting SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Lindahl
- Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maarit J Ahava
- Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mia Haukipää
- Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna-Riikka Kreivi
- Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Lipponen
- Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elisa Kortela
- Inflammation Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
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8
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Mathur S, So M, Tahir P, Peluso MJ, Martin JN, Kelly JD. Performance of Blood-Based Nucleocapsid Antigen Tests for Diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection and Infectious Viral Shedding: A Systematic Review. Open Forum Infect Dis 2023; 10:ofad346. [PMID: 37547852 PMCID: PMC10400123 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Data on the performance of blood-based nucleocapsid antigen tests for diagnosing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and infectious viral shedding are limited. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review to assess the performance of blood-based nucleocapsid (N) antigen tests in diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection and identifying infectiousness. This review was registered on PROSPERO (registration no. CRD42022339635). We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Coronavirus Research Database for relevant studies published through 27 February 2023. Each study's risk of bias was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Our findings indicate that the performance of the N-antigen test is influenced by factors such as assay type, sampling timing, and illness severity. Sensitive assays provide suitable methods for viable screening and laboratory diagnostic tests in different clinical and research settings during the early phase of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujata Mathur
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew So
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Peggy Tahir
- UCSF Library, University of California, San Francisco,
CA, USA
| | - Michael J Peluso
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San
Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco,
California, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Martin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San
Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Daniel Kelly
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San
Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of
California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Francis I. Proctor foundation, University of California,
San Francisco, USA
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Centre, San
Francisco, CA, USA
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9
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Frank MG, Fleshner M, Maier SF. Exploring the immunogenic properties of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins: PAMP:TLR signaling in the mediation of the neuroinflammatory and neurologic sequelae of COVID-19. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 111:259-269. [PMID: 37116592 PMCID: PMC10132835 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) produces an array of neurologic and neuropsychiatric symptoms in the acute and post-acute phase of infection (PASC; post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection). Neuroinflammatory processes are considered key factors in the etiology of these symptoms. Several mechanisms underpinning the development of inflammatory events in the brain have been proposed including SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism and peripheral inflammatory responses (i.e., cytokine storm) to infection, which might produce neuroinflammation via immune-to-brain signaling pathways. In this review, we explore evidence in support of an alternate mechanism whereby structural proteins (e.g., spike and spike S1 subunit) derived from SARS-CoV-2 virions function as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to elicit proinflammatory immune responses in the periphery and/or brain via classical Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) inflammatory pathways. We propose that SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins might directly produce inflammatory processes in brain independent of and/or in addition to peripheral proinflammatory effects, which might converge to play a causal role in the development of neurologic/neuropsychiatric symptoms in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Frank
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder CO 80301, United States.
| | - Monika Fleshner
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder CO 80301, United States
| | - Steven F Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder CO 80301, United States
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10
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Zhang X, Qian C, Yang L, Gao H, Jiang P, Dai M, Wang Y, Kang H, Xu Y, Hu Q, Feng F, Cheng B, Dai E. Diagnostic value and characteristic analysis of serum nucleocapsid antigen in COVID-19 patients. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15515. [PMID: 37304882 PMCID: PMC10257392 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To date, several types of laboratory tests for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis have been developed. However, the clinical importance of serum severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid antigen (N-Ag) remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we sought to investigate the value of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag for COVID-19 diagnosis and to analyze N-Ag characteristics in COVID-19 individuals. Methods Serum samples collected from 215 COVID-19 patients and 65 non-COVID-19 individuals were used to quantitatively detect N-Ag via chemiluminescent immunoassay according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results The sensitivity and specificity of the N-Ag assay were 64.75% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) [55.94-72.66%]) and 100% (95% CI [93.05-100.00%]), respectively, according to the cut-off value recommended by the manufacturer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed a sensitivity of 100.00% (95% CI [94.42-100.00%]) and a specificity of 71.31% (95% CI [62.73-78.59%]). The positive rates and levels of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag were not related to sex, comorbidity status or disease severity of COVID-19 (all P < 0.001). Compared with RT‒PCR, there was a lower positive rate of serum N-Ag for acute COVID-19 patients (P < 0.001). The positive rate and levels of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag in acute patients were significantly higher than those in convalescent patients (all P < 0.001). In addition, the positive rate of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag in acute COVID-19 patients was higher than that of serum antibodies (IgM, IgG, IgA and neutralizing antibodies (Nab)) against SARS-CoV-2 (all P < 0.001). However, the positive rate of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag in convalescent COVID-19 patients was significantly lower than that of antibodies (all P < 0.001). Conclusion Serum N-Ag can be used as a biomarker for early COVID-19 diagnosis based on appropriate cut-off values. In addition, our study also demonstrated the relationship between serum N-Ag and clinical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xihong Zhang
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Chungen Qian
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Huixia Gao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Ping Jiang
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Muwei Dai
- Orthopaedic Department, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Cancer Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yuling Wang
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Haiyan Kang
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Qian Hu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Fumin Feng
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China
| | - Bangning Cheng
- Shenzhen YHLO Biotech Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Erhei Dai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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11
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SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Neutralizing Anti-Spike Protein Antibodies Modulate Blood Platelet Function. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065312. [PMID: 36982387 PMCID: PMC10049216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies report elevated blood platelet activation and altered platelet count in COVID-19 patients, but the role of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in this process remains intriguing. Additionally, there is no data that anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAb) may attenuate spike protein activity toward blood platelets. Our results indicate that under in vitro conditions, the spike protein increased the collagen-stimulated aggregation of isolated platelets and induced the binding of vWF to platelets in ristocetin-treated blood. The spike protein also significantly reduced collagen- or ADP-induced aggregation or decreased GPIIbIIIa (fibrinogen receptor) activation in whole blood, depending on the presence of the anti-spike protein nAb. Our findings suggest that studies on platelet activation/reactivity in COVID-19 patients or in donors vaccinated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 and/or previously-infected COVID-19 should be supported by measurements of spike protein and IgG anti-spike protein antibody concentrations in blood.
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12
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Mohammad S, Wang Y, Cordero J, Watson C, Molestina R, Rashid S, Bradford R. Development and validation of a rapid and easy-to-perform point-of-care lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1111644. [PMID: 36911726 PMCID: PMC9995903 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1111644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Development and validation of rapid and easy-to-perform diagnostics continue to be a high priority during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Although vaccines are now widely available, early detection and consistent transmission control provide ideal means to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Nucleic acid-based real-time PCR tests are widely acknowledged as the gold standard for reliable diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. These tests are based on detecting viable or nonviable viral nucleic acids. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is an alternative and ideal target for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in the early phase of infection, but point-of-care kits to detect the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are limited. Here we describe a rapid and convenient method based on Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFIA) to detect SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, including SARS-CoV-2 variants (A.23.1, B.1.1.1, 1.617.2, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, N501Y, R.1, P681H, P3, UK, and South African) within 5 to 10 minutes. We generated highly specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against rationally designed SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Matched pair mAbs were selected by epitope mapping and employed as antigen capture reagents by spotting onto a nitrocellulose membrane and as detector reagents by conjugation with colloidal gold nanoparticles. We evaluated the performance of the LFIA using recombinant spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and several SARS-CoV-2 variants. The specificity of the LFIA was assessed using heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and related human coronaviruses (HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU1, and HCoV-NL63) and an FDA-approved respiratory pathogens (RP) panel. The assay exhibited 98% specificity and acceptable performance with respect to the minimum limit of detection (25 ng/test) in validation tests. This new LFIA provides improved performance for the early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, particularly for home monitoring and in situations with limited access to molecular methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamim Mohammad
- American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, United States
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13
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Mathur S, Davidson MC, Anglin K, Lu S, Goldberg SA, Garcia-Knight M, Tassetto M, Zhang A, Romero M, Pineda-Ramirez J, Diaz-Sanchez R, Rugart P, Chen JY, Donohue K, Shak JR, Chenna A, Winslow JW, Petropoulos CJ, Yee BC, Lambert J, Glidden DV, Rutherford GW, Deeks SG, Peluso MJ, Andino R, Martin JN, Kelly JD. Evaluation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Nucleocapsid Antigen in the Blood as a Diagnostic Test for Infection and Infectious Viral Shedding. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9:ofac563. [PMID: 36381627 PMCID: PMC9620332 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen can be detected in plasma, but little is known about its performance as a diagnostic test for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or infectious viral shedding among nonhospitalized individuals. Methods We used data generated from anterior nasal and blood samples collected in a longitudinal household cohort of SARS-CoV-2 cases and contacts. Participants were classified as true positives if polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for SARS-CoV-2 and as true negatives if PCR negative and seronegative. Infectious viral shedding was determined by the cytopathic effect from viral culture. Stratified by 7 days after symptom onset, we constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to describe optimized accuracy (Youden index), optimized sensitivity, and specificity. Results Of 80 participants, 58 (73%) were true positives while 22 (27%) were true negatives. Using the manufacturer's cutoff of 1.25 pg/mL for evaluating infection, sensitivity was higher from 0 to 7 days (77.6% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 64%-88.2%]) than from 8 to 14 days (43.2% [95% CI, 31.1%-54.5%]) after symptom onset; specificity was unchanged at 100% (95% CI, 88.1%-100%). This test had higher sensitivity (100% [95% CI, 88.4%-100%]) and lower specificity (65% [95% CI, 40.8%-84.6%]) for infectious viral shedding as compared with infection, particularly within the first week of symptom onset. Although the presence of N-antigen correlated with infectious viral shedding (r = 0.63; P < .01), sensitivity still declined over time. Additional cutoffs from ROC curves were identified to optimize sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions We found that this SARS-CoV-2 N-antigen test was highly sensitive for detecting early but not late infectious viral shedding, making it a viable screening test for community-dwelling individuals to inform isolation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujata Mathur
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michelle C Davidson
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Khamal Anglin
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Scott Lu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sarah A Goldberg
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miguel Garcia-Knight
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michel Tassetto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Amethyst Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mariela Romero
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jesus Pineda-Ramirez
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ruth Diaz-Sanchez
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Paulina Rugart
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jessica Y Chen
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kevin Donohue
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joshua R Shak
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ahmed Chenna
- Labcorp-Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - John W Winslow
- Labcorp-Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Brandon C Yee
- Labcorp-Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - David V Glidden
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - George W Rutherford
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael J Peluso
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Raul Andino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Martin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - J Daniel Kelly
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
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14
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Wick KD, Leligdowicz A, Willmore A, Carrillo SA, Ghale R, Jauregui A, Chak SS, Nguyen V, Lee D, Jones C, Dewar R, Lane HC, Kangelaris KN, Hendrickson CM, Liu KD, Sinha P, Erle DJ, Langelier CR, Krummell MF, Woodruff PG, Calfee CS, Matthay MA. Plasma SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen levels are associated with progression to severe disease in hospitalized COVID-19. Crit Care 2022; 26:278. [PMID: 36104754 PMCID: PMC9472195 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-022-04153-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies quantifying SARS-CoV-2 have focused on upper respiratory tract or plasma viral RNA with inconsistent association with clinical outcomes. The association between plasma viral antigen levels and clinical outcomes has not been previously studied. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between plasma SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen (N-antigen) concentration and both markers of host response and clinical outcomes. METHODS SARS-CoV-2 N-antigen concentrations were measured in the first study plasma sample (D0), collected within 72 h of hospital admission, from 256 subjects admitted between March 2020 and August 2021 in a prospective observational cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The rank correlations between plasma N-antigen and plasma biomarkers of tissue damage, coagulation, and inflammation were assessed. Multiple ordinal regression was used to test the association between enrollment N-antigen plasma concentration and the primary outcome of clinical deterioration at one week as measured by a modified World Health Organization (WHO) ordinal scale. Multiple logistic regression was used to test the association between enrollment plasma N-antigen concentration and the secondary outcomes of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation at 28 days, and death at 28 days. The prognostic discrimination of an externally derived "high antigen" cutoff of N-antigen ≥ 1000 pg/mL was also tested. RESULTS N-antigen on D0 was detectable in 84% of study participants. Plasma N-antigen levels significantly correlated with RAGE (r = 0.61), IL-10 (r = 0.59), and IP-10 (r = 0.59, adjusted p = 0.01 for all correlations). For the primary outcome of clinical status at one week, each 500 pg/mL increase in plasma N-antigen level was associated with an adjusted OR of 1.05 (95% CI 1.03-1.08) for worse WHO ordinal status. D0 plasma N-antigen ≥ 1000 pg/mL was 77% sensitive and 59% specific (AUROC 0.68) with a positive predictive value of 23% and a negative predictive value of 93% for a worse WHO ordinal scale at day 7 compared to baseline. D0 N-antigen concentration was independently associated with ICU admission and 28-day mechanical ventilation, but not with death at 28 days. CONCLUSIONS Plasma N-antigen levels are readily measured and provide important insight into the pathogenesis and prognosis of COVID-19. The measurement of N-antigen levels early in-hospital course may improve risk stratification, especially for identifying patients who are unlikely to progress to severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine D Wick
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Aleksandra Leligdowicz
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Critical Care, Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew Willmore
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sidney A Carrillo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rajani Ghale
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alejandra Jauregui
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Suzanna S Chak
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Viet Nguyen
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Deanna Lee
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Chayse Jones
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robin Dewar
- Virus Isolation and Serology Laboratory, Applied and Developmental Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - H Clifford Lane
- Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kirsten N Kangelaris
- Department of Hospital Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn M Hendrickson
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Kathleen D Liu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesia, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Pratik Sinha
- Department of Anesthesia, Division of Critical Care, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Clinical and Translational Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David J Erle
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Lung Biology Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- ImmunoX Initiative, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF CoLabs, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charles R Langelier
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew F Krummell
- ImmunoX Initiative, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Prescott G Woodruff
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn S Calfee
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Matthay
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 503 Parnassus Ave, HSE 760, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Departments of Medicine and Anesthesia, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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15
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Wilber E, Piantadosi A, Babiker A, McLendon K, O’Sick W, Fitts E, Webster AS, Verkerke H, Kim JS, Phadke VK, Rouphael N, Titanji BK, Blake WT, Howard-Anderson J, Roback JD, Lam WA, Damhorst GL. Nucleocapsid antigenemia in patients receiving anti-CD20 therapy with protracted COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9:ofac419. [PMID: 36043176 PMCID: PMC9416058 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunocompromised patients with prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We measured viral nucleocapsid antigenemia in 3 patients treated with anti-CD20 immunotherapy who acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and experienced protracted symptoms. Our results support nucleocapsid antigenemia as a marker of persistent infection and therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Wilber
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Anne Piantadosi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Ahmed Babiker
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Kaleb McLendon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - William O’Sick
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Eric Fitts
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Andrew S Webster
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Hans Verkerke
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA , USA
| | - James S Kim
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Varun K Phadke
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Nadine Rouphael
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Boghuma K Titanji
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - William T Blake
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Jessica Howard-Anderson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - John D Roback
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Wilbur A Lam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
- The Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies , Atlanta, GA , USA
- Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta , Atlanta, GA , USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Gregory L Damhorst
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
- The Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies , Atlanta, GA , USA
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16
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Verkerke HP, Damhorst GL, Graciaa DS, McLendon K, O'Sick W, Robichaux C, Cheedarla N, Potlapalli S, Wu SC, Harrington KRV, Webster A, Kraft C, Rostad CA, Waggoner JJ, Gandhi NR, Guarner J, Auld SC, Neish A, Roback JD, Lam WA, Shah NS, Stowell SR. Nucleocapsid Antigenemia Is a Marker of Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:1577-1587. [PMID: 35877413 PMCID: PMC9384592 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is essential for diagnosis, treatment, and infection control. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fails to distinguish acute from resolved infections, as RNA is frequently detected after infectiousness. We hypothesized that nucleocapsid in blood marks acute infection with the potential to enhance isolation and treatment strategies. In a retrospective serosurvey of inpatient and outpatient encounters, we categorized samples along an infection timeline using timing of SARS-CoV-2 testing and symptomatology. Among 1860 specimens from 1607 patients, the highest levels and frequency of antigenemia were observed in samples from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antigenemia was higher in seronegative individuals and in those with severe disease. In our analysis, antigenemia exhibited 85.8% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity as a biomarker for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, antigenemia sensitively and specifically marks acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further study is warranted to determine whether antigenemia may aid individualized assessment of active COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans P Verkerke
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gregory L Damhorst
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,The Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel S Graciaa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kaleb McLendon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - William O'Sick
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Narayanaiah Cheedarla
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sindhu Potlapalli
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shang Chuen Wu
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristin R V Harrington
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Andrew Webster
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Colleen Kraft
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christina A Rostad
- Department of Pediatrics and Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jesse J Waggoner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,The Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Neel R Gandhi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeannette Guarner
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sara C Auld
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Andrew Neish
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - John D Roback
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Wilbur A Lam
- The Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - N Sarita Shah
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sean R Stowell
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Dinnes J, Sharma P, Berhane S, van Wyk SS, Nyaaba N, Domen J, Taylor M, Cunningham J, Davenport C, Dittrich S, Emperador D, Hooft L, Leeflang MM, McInnes MD, Spijker R, Verbakel JY, Takwoingi Y, Taylor-Phillips S, Van den Bruel A, Deeks JJ. Rapid, point-of-care antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022; 7:CD013705. [PMID: 35866452 PMCID: PMC9305720 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013705.pub3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate rapid diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection would be a useful tool to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing strategies that use rapid antigen tests to detect current infection have the potential to increase access to testing, speed detection of infection, and inform clinical and public health management decisions to reduce transmission. This is the second update of this review, which was first published in 2020. OBJECTIVES To assess the diagnostic accuracy of rapid, point-of-care antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We consider accuracy separately in symptomatic and asymptomatic population groups. Sources of heterogeneity investigated included setting and indication for testing, assay format, sample site, viral load, age, timing of test, and study design. SEARCH METHODS We searched the COVID-19 Open Access Project living evidence database from the University of Bern (which includes daily updates from PubMed and Embase and preprints from medRxiv and bioRxiv) on 08 March 2021. We included independent evaluations from national reference laboratories, FIND and the Diagnostics Global Health website. We did not apply language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA We included studies of people with either suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, known SARS-CoV-2 infection or known absence of infection, or those who were being screened for infection. We included test accuracy studies of any design that evaluated commercially produced, rapid antigen tests. We included evaluations of single applications of a test (one test result reported per person) and evaluations of serial testing (repeated antigen testing over time). Reference standards for presence or absence of infection were any laboratory-based molecular test (primarily reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)) or pre-pandemic respiratory sample. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard screening procedures with three people. Two people independently carried out quality assessment (using the QUADAS-2 tool) and extracted study results. Other study characteristics were extracted by one review author and checked by a second. We present sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each test, and pooled data using the bivariate model. We investigated heterogeneity by including indicator variables in the random-effects logistic regression models. We tabulated results by test manufacturer and compliance with manufacturer instructions for use and according to symptom status. MAIN RESULTS We included 155 study cohorts (described in 166 study reports, with 24 as preprints). The main results relate to 152 evaluations of single test applications including 100,462 unique samples (16,822 with confirmed SARS-CoV-2). Studies were mainly conducted in Europe (101/152, 66%), and evaluated 49 different commercial antigen assays. Only 23 studies compared two or more brands of test. Risk of bias was high because of participant selection (40, 26%); interpretation of the index test (6, 4%); weaknesses in the reference standard for absence of infection (119, 78%); and participant flow and timing 41 (27%). Characteristics of participants (45, 30%) and index test delivery (47, 31%) differed from the way in which and in whom the test was intended to be used. Nearly all studies (91%) used a single RT-PCR result to define presence or absence of infection. The 152 studies of single test applications reported 228 evaluations of antigen tests. Estimates of sensitivity varied considerably between studies, with consistently high specificities. Average sensitivity was higher in symptomatic (73.0%, 95% CI 69.3% to 76.4%; 109 evaluations; 50,574 samples, 11,662 cases) compared to asymptomatic participants (54.7%, 95% CI 47.7% to 61.6%; 50 evaluations; 40,956 samples, 2641 cases). Average sensitivity was higher in the first week after symptom onset (80.9%, 95% CI 76.9% to 84.4%; 30 evaluations, 2408 cases) than in the second week of symptoms (53.8%, 95% CI 48.0% to 59.6%; 40 evaluations, 1119 cases). For those who were asymptomatic at the time of testing, sensitivity was higher when an epidemiological exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was suspected (64.3%, 95% CI 54.6% to 73.0%; 16 evaluations; 7677 samples, 703 cases) compared to where COVID-19 testing was reported to be widely available to anyone on presentation for testing (49.6%, 95% CI 42.1% to 57.1%; 26 evaluations; 31,904 samples, 1758 cases). Average specificity was similarly high for symptomatic (99.1%) or asymptomatic (99.7%) participants. We observed a steady decline in summary sensitivities as measures of sample viral load decreased. Sensitivity varied between brands. When tests were used according to manufacturer instructions, average sensitivities by brand ranged from 34.3% to 91.3% in symptomatic participants (20 assays with eligible data) and from 28.6% to 77.8% for asymptomatic participants (12 assays). For symptomatic participants, summary sensitivities for seven assays were 80% or more (meeting acceptable criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO)). The WHO acceptable performance criterion of 97% specificity was met by 17 of 20 assays when tests were used according to manufacturer instructions, 12 of which demonstrated specificities above 99%. For asymptomatic participants the sensitivities of only two assays approached but did not meet WHO acceptable performance standards in one study each; specificities for asymptomatic participants were in a similar range to those observed for symptomatic people. At 5% prevalence using summary data in symptomatic people during the first week after symptom onset, the positive predictive value (PPV) of 89% means that 1 in 10 positive results will be a false positive, and around 1 in 5 cases will be missed. At 0.5% prevalence using summary data for asymptomatic people, where testing was widely available and where epidemiological exposure to COVID-19 was suspected, resulting PPVs would be 38% to 52%, meaning that between 2 in 5 and 1 in 2 positive results will be false positives, and between 1 in 2 and 1 in 3 cases will be missed. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Antigen tests vary in sensitivity. In people with signs and symptoms of COVID-19, sensitivities are highest in the first week of illness when viral loads are higher. Assays that meet appropriate performance standards, such as those set by WHO, could replace laboratory-based RT-PCR when immediate decisions about patient care must be made, or where RT-PCR cannot be delivered in a timely manner. However, they are more suitable for use as triage to RT-PCR testing. The variable sensitivity of antigen tests means that people who test negative may still be infected. Many commercially available rapid antigen tests have not been evaluated in independent validation studies. Evidence for testing in asymptomatic cohorts has increased, however sensitivity is lower and there is a paucity of evidence for testing in different settings. Questions remain about the use of antigen test-based repeat testing strategies. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of screening programmes at reducing transmission of infection, whether mass screening or targeted approaches including schools, healthcare setting and traveller screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Dinnes
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Pawana Sharma
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sarah Berhane
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Susanna S van Wyk
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nicholas Nyaaba
- Infectious Disease Unit, 37 Military Hospital, Cantonments, Ghana
| | - Julie Domen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Melissa Taylor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jane Cunningham
- Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Clare Davenport
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | | | - Lotty Hooft
- Cochrane Netherlands, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mariska Mg Leeflang
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - René Spijker
- Cochrane Netherlands, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Medical Library, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Y Verbakel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yemisi Takwoingi
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sian Taylor-Phillips
- Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Ann Van den Bruel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan J Deeks
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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