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Updated: Aug 26, 2025
A Rapid, Multiplex Dual Reporter IgG and IgM SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Assay for a Multiplexed Bead-Based Flow Analysis System
Published on: April 6, 2021
Novel bridge multi-species ELISA for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Aldana Trabucchi1, Silvina Sonia Bombicino1, Juan Ignacio Marfía1
1Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología, Biotecnología y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Inmunología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral "Prof. Ricardo A. Margni" (IDEHU), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
Considering the course of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is important to have serological tests for monitoring humoral immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Herein we describe a novel bridge enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (b-ELISA) for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detection in human and other species, employing recombinant Spike protein as a unique antigen, which is produced at high scale in insect larvae.
Methods:
Eighty two human control sera/plasmas and 169 COVID-19 patients' sera/plasmas, confirmed by rRT-PCR, were analyzed by the b-ELISA assay. In addition, a total of 27 animal sera (5 horses, 13 rats, 2 cats and 7 dogs) were employed in order to evaluate the b-ELISA in other animal species.
Results:
Out of the 169 patient samples, 129 were positive for IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 and 40 were negative when they were tested by ELISA COVIDAR® IgG. When a cut-off value of 5.0 SDs was established, 124 out of the 129 COVID-19 positive samples were also positive by our developed b-ELISA (sensitivity: 96.12%). Moreover, the test was able to evaluate the humoral immune response in animal models and also detected as positive a naturally infected cat and two dogs with symptoms, whose owners had suffered the COVID-19 disease.
Conclusion:
The obtained results demonstrate that the method developed herein is versatile, as it is able to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in different animal species without the need to perform and optimize a new assay for each species.
