Comparison of eight commercial, high-throughput, automated or ELISA assays detecting SARS-CoV-2 IgG or total antibody

• Published in: Journal of clinical virology Vol. 132; p. 104613
• Main Authors: Trabaud, Mary-Anne, Icard, Vinca, Milon, Marie-Paule, Bal, Antonin, Lina, Bruno, Escuret, Vanessa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.11.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Automation, Laboratory; Child; COVID-19; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 Testing - methods; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Humans; IgG; Immunoassay; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Life Sciences; Limit of Detection; Male; Middle Aged; Reproducibility of Results; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Serologic Tests; Serology; Short Communication; Total Ig; Young Adult; Immunoassay; ELFA; IgG; Serology; Total Ig; ECLIA; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; RBD; SO; HCW; CMIA; CLIA; ELISA
• ISSN: 1386-6532; 1873-5967; 1873-5967
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104613

•8 commercial assays detecting similar class of SARS-CoV-2 -specific antibodies.•Discrepancies found not linked to sensitivity, target Ag, total vs IgG antibodies.•False negative results possible in pauci-symptomatic subjects. Many commercial assays, of different designs, detecting SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies exist but with little experience with them. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of assays detecting IgG or total antibodies to N or S antigens, validated for routine use in France, with samples from subjects with more or less severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Eight assays were used: Abbott Architect, DiaSorin Liaison®, bioMérieux Vidas®, Roche Elecsys Cobas®, Siemens Atellica®, BioRad Platelia ELISA, Epitope Diagnostics ELISA, and Wantai ELISA. The tested population included 86 samples from 40 hospitalized subjects and 28 outpatients at different time from symptom onset. The positivity rate varied depending on the assay but was greater for all assays in hospitalized than non-hospitalized patients. Despite a good correlation between the assays, discrepancies occurred, without a systematic origin, even for samples taken more than 20 days after symptom onset. These discrepancies were linked to low antibody levels in pauci-symptomatic patients. Whichever assay is chosen, a false negative result may need to be ruled out with another test in a risk situation.