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A Global Collaborative Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Antigenicity Across 15 Laboratories
Polina Brangel1, Sina Tureli2, Barbara Mühlemann3,4
1World Health Organization, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Viruses
|January 8, 2025
Summary
Global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance requires understanding assay platform impacts on antigenicity. This study found consistent results across labs, though live virus assays yielded lower titres than pseudovirus assays.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Global surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity is crucial for monitoring population immunity and vaccine effectiveness.
- Standardization of neutralization assay platforms is essential for reliable assessment of viral evolution and antibody responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of different virus isolation, propagation, and neutralization assay platforms on SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity assessment.
- To analyze data consistency across 15 international laboratories using the first WHO International Standard for antibodies.
Main Methods:
- Controlled analysis of neutralization assay platforms using live virus isolates or pseudoviruses derived from spike plasmids.
- Application of the first WHO International Standard for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
- Utilizing a Bayesian model to analyze geometric mean titres and assay titre magnitudes.
Main Results:
- Excellent data consistency was observed across laboratories, with low root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) between pseudovirus and live virus neutralization assays (0.59).
- Live microneutralization assays generally produced lower titres compared to pseudovirus neutralization assays (mean difference of 3.2 log2 units).
- Significant variations in titre magnitudes were noted even among laboratories using the same assay type.
Conclusions:
- Standardized reagents and controlled analysis ensure reliable SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity data across diverse laboratory settings.
- Differences in assay platforms, particularly live virus versus pseudovirus methods, impact reported antibody titres.
- Findings support the development of robust global surveillance networks like WHO Coronavirus Laboratory Network (CoViNet) for variant characterization and public health policy.
