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Two Commercially Available Blood-Stabilization Reagents Serve as Potent Inactivators of Coronaviruses
Joseph J O'Connor1, Lynden Voth1, Jeremiah Athmer2
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2023
Summary
Two blood collection tube reagents, Cell-Free DNA BCT® (cfDNA) and Cyto-Chex® BCT (CytoChex), effectively inactivated coronaviruses (CoVs) and preserved their RNA for 7 days, aiding in detection and testing.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Biotechnology
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronaviruses (CoVs) pose an ongoing global health threat due to persistent circulation and frequent outbreaks.
- Effective tools are needed for monitoring and preventing the spread of CoVs, including SARS-CoV-2.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of two blood collection tube (BCT) reagents, Cell-Free DNA BCT® (cfDNA) and Cyto-Chex® BCT (CytoChex), in inactivating coronaviruses (CoVs) and stabilizing their RNA.
- To assess the potential of these reagents for use in diagnostic and research applications involving CoVs.
Main Methods:
- Testing the ability of cfDNA and CytoChex reagents to inactivate three distinct coronaviruses: Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV), Human Coronavirus OC-43 (OC-43), and SARS-CoV-2.
- Assessing viral RNA stabilization by both reagents over a 7-day period.
- Comparing the viral inactivation rates in buffer and whole blood samples treated with reagents versus control samples.
Main Results:
- Both cfDNA and CytoChex reagents significantly reduced infectious virus levels below the limit of detection within 18 hours, with some instances as early as 3 hours.
- CytoChex demonstrated more potent antiviral activity, achieving faster inactivation compared to cfDNA under tested conditions.
- Despite rapid viral inactivation, both reagents effectively preserved viral RNA integrity for up to 7 days.
- Both reagents accelerated viral inactivation in blood samples compared to untreated controls.
Conclusions:
- cfDNA and CytoChex reagents show significant potential for inactivating infectious coronaviruses while preserving viral RNA.
- These BCT reagents can be valuable tools for sample collection, transport, and storage in diagnostic and research settings for CoV detection and analysis.
- The findings support the use of cfDNA and CytoChex in developing improved strategies for monitoring and managing coronavirus outbreaks.
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