Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Dynamic Monitoring of Seroconversion using a Multianalyte Immunobead Assay for Covid-19
Published on: February 16, 2022
Development of an immunochromatographic kit to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Satoshi Oshiro1, Yoko Tabe2, Keiji Funatogawa3
1Department of Microbiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the worldwide coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, starting in late 2019. The standard diagnostic methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 are PCR-based genetic assays. Antigen-antibody-based immunochromatographic assays are alternative methods of detecting this virus. Rapid diagnosis kits to detect SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed.
Study Design:
Three monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein were used to develop an antigen-antibody-based immunochromatographic kit to detect SARS-CoV-2. These assays were evaluated using nasopharyngeal swab specimens collected from patients suspected of having COVID-19.
Results:
These assays detected recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein at concentrations >0.2 ng/mL within 10 min after protein loading, but did not detect the N proteins of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), human coronaviruses OC43 (HCoV-OC43) and 299E (HCoV-229E) and other pathogens causing respiratory infections. Nasopharyngeal swab specimens obtained 1～3, 4～9, and ≥ 10 days after symptom onset from COVID-19 patients diagnosed by RT-PCR showed positivity rates of 100 %, >80 %, and <30 %, respectively.
Conclusions:
Kits using this immunochromatographic assay may be a rapid and useful tool for point-of-care diagnosis of COVID-19 when samples are obtained from patients 1～9 days after symptom onset.
