tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Public Health (Oxf)
. 2021 Feb 22;fdab011.
doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab011. Online ahead of print.
The use of dried blood spots for the serological evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Zheng Quan Toh[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Rachel A Higgins[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeremy Anderson[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Nadia Mazarakis[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Lien Anh Ha Do[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Karin Rautenbacher[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Pedro Ramos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kate Dohle[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shidan Tosif[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Nigel Crawford[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Kim Mulholland[SUP] 1 2 5 [/SUP], Paul V Licciardi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: To determine if dried blood spot specimens (DBS) can reliably detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies, we compared the SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody response in paired serum and eluates from DBS specimens.
Methods: A total of 95 paired DBS and serum samples were collected from 74 participants (aged 1-63 years) as part of a household cohort study in Melbourne, Australia. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies specific for the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S1 proteins between serum and eluates from DBS specimens were compared using an FDA-approved ELISA method.
Results: Among the 74 participants, 42% (31/74) were children and the rest were adults. A total of 16 children and 13 adults were SARS-CoV-2 positive by polymerase chain reaction. The IgG seropositivity rate was similar between serum and DBS specimens (18.9% (18/95) versus 16.8% (16/95)), respectively. Similar RBD and S1-specific IgG levels were detected between serum and DBS specimens. Serum IgG levels strongly correlated with DBS IgG levels (r = 0.99, P < 0.0001) for both SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Furthermore, antibodies remained stable in DBS specimens for >3 months.
Conclusions: DBS specimens can be reliably used as an alternative to serum samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibody measurement. The use of DBS specimens would facilitate serosurveillance efforts particularly in hard-to-reach populations and inform public health responses including COVID-19 vaccination strategies.
Keywords: infectious disease; methods; public health.
. 2021 Feb 22;fdab011.
doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab011. Online ahead of print.
The use of dried blood spots for the serological evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Zheng Quan Toh[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Rachel A Higgins[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeremy Anderson[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Nadia Mazarakis[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Lien Anh Ha Do[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Karin Rautenbacher[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Pedro Ramos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kate Dohle[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shidan Tosif[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Nigel Crawford[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP], Kim Mulholland[SUP] 1 2 5 [/SUP], Paul V Licciardi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33611565
- DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab011
Abstract
Background: To determine if dried blood spot specimens (DBS) can reliably detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies, we compared the SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody response in paired serum and eluates from DBS specimens.
Methods: A total of 95 paired DBS and serum samples were collected from 74 participants (aged 1-63 years) as part of a household cohort study in Melbourne, Australia. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies specific for the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S1 proteins between serum and eluates from DBS specimens were compared using an FDA-approved ELISA method.
Results: Among the 74 participants, 42% (31/74) were children and the rest were adults. A total of 16 children and 13 adults were SARS-CoV-2 positive by polymerase chain reaction. The IgG seropositivity rate was similar between serum and DBS specimens (18.9% (18/95) versus 16.8% (16/95)), respectively. Similar RBD and S1-specific IgG levels were detected between serum and DBS specimens. Serum IgG levels strongly correlated with DBS IgG levels (r = 0.99, P < 0.0001) for both SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Furthermore, antibodies remained stable in DBS specimens for >3 months.
Conclusions: DBS specimens can be reliably used as an alternative to serum samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibody measurement. The use of DBS specimens would facilitate serosurveillance efforts particularly in hard-to-reach populations and inform public health responses including COVID-19 vaccination strategies.
Keywords: infectious disease; methods; public health.