Augmenting hepatitis C E1E2 glycoprotein antibody detection via an alternative lectin-assisted mannose-binding ELISA

In this study we compared several plant lectins for use in a lectin capture ELISAs to enrich HCV glycoproteins from cellular extracts for subsequent detection of HCV glycoprotein-specific antibodies. We selected various high-mannose plant lectins and assessed for their properties to capture HCV glycoproteins. Three lectins, Galanthus nivalis lectin (GNL), Narcissus Pseudonarcissus Lectin (NPL) and Hippeastrum hybrid lectin (HHL) demonstrated effective capturing properties. These were subsequently tested for specificity and sensitivity against viral isolates spanning diverse HCV genotypes. Furthermore, their performance was evaluated in detecting various HCV-specific monoclonal broadly neutralising antibodies, and polyclonal antibodies from both HCV-positive and negative donors. These three lectins share similar scaffold structures, which may be a critical factor in their capture efficacy. The results suggest that NPL and HHL are good candidates to replace the GNL in this glycan-capture assay.