Weisser Heike, Steinhagen Katja, Höcker Ralf, Borchardt-Lohölter Viola, Anvari Özlem, Kern Peter M
Institute of Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Marburg - Campus Fulda, Fulda, Germany.
Institute for Experimental Immunology, affiliated to EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG, Lübeck, Germany.
Clin Chem Lab Med. 2021 Jan 8;59(5):979-985. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2020-1436. Print 2021 Apr 27.
During the current pandemic, antibody testing based on venous serum helps to determine whether the tested person has been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Alternatively, capillary blood can be taken via a finger prick (dried blood spots, DBS). In this study, paired DBS and venipuncture samples were tested using two serological assays to evaluate the usability of DBS for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Paired samples of DBS and venous serum were collected from 389 volunteers, of whom 75 had a recent PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies against both viral S1 and nucleocapsid protein (NCP) antigens using two ELISAs. Degree of agreement and correlation coefficients between ELISA results based on the two sampling methods were calculated.
Results of DBS showed almost perfect agreement and high correlations with results from corresponding serum samples in both the S1-based ELISA and the NCP-based ELISA.
ELISA results derived from DBS showed very high agreement to those obtained with serum, supposing adequate usability and robustness of DBS as sample material for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In the near future, large-scale epidemiological screening for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 will be carried out. Since DBS reduce the strain on healthcare institutions regarding sample collection, they have a potential to facilitate efficient community- and population-based screening in the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
在当前疫情期间，基于静脉血清的抗体检测有助于确定被检测者既往是否感染过严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）。另外，也可以通过手指采血获取毛细血管血（干血斑，DBS）。在本研究中，使用两种血清学检测方法对配对的DBS样本和静脉穿刺样本进行检测，以评估DBS用于检测抗SARS-CoV-2抗体的实用性。
从389名志愿者中采集配对的DBS样本和静脉血清样本，其中75人近期经聚合酶链反应（PCR）确诊感染SARS-CoV-2，使用两种酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）方法检测针对病毒S1和核衣壳蛋白（NCP）抗原的抗SARS-CoV-2 IgG抗体。计算基于两种采样方法的ELISA结果之间的一致性程度和相关系数。
在基于S1的ELISA和基于NCP的ELISA中，DBS的检测结果与相应血清样本的结果显示出几乎完美的一致性和高度相关性。
源自DBS的ELISA结果与血清检测结果显示出非常高的一致性，前提是DBS作为检测抗SARS-CoV-2抗体的样本材料具有足够的实用性和稳健性。在不久的将来，将开展针对SARS-CoV-2抗体的大规模流行病学筛查。由于DBS减轻了医疗机构在样本采集方面的压力，它们有潜力在当前SARS-CoV-2疫情中促进基于社区和人群的高效筛查。
