Comparison of two assays to detect IgG antibodies to the receptor binding domain of SARS‑CoV‑2 as a surrogate marker for assessing neutralizing antibodies in COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Background: Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are important for protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfection. In this study, two assays that are correlated with NAbs were compared: the haemagglutination test (HAT) and the surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Methods: The specificity of the HAT was compared with the sVNT, and the sensitivity and persistence of antibodies in patients with varying severity of illness was assessed in a cohort of 71 patients at 4–6 weeks and 13–16 weeks. The kinetics were assessed in the first, second, and third weeks in patients with varying severity of acute illness. Results: The specificity of the HAT was >99%, and sensitivity was similar to the sVNT. The levels of HAT were significantly and positively correlated with those of the sVNT (Spearman's r = 0.78, P 1:640 during the second week of illness, whereas only five of 31 patients with a mild illness had a titre of >1:160 in the second week of illness. Conclusions: Since the HAT is a simple and very cheap assay to perform, it would be ideal to use as an indicator of NAbs in resource-poor settings.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Disease severity
• Haemagglutination assay
• Surrogate neutralization assay
• Neutralizing antibodies