Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34890401›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

A rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction-based live virus microneutralization assay for detection of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in blood/serum.

Syed Hani Abidi, Kehkashan Imtiaz, Akbar Kanji, Shama Qaiser, Erum Khan, Kiran Iqbal, Marc Veldhoen, Kulsoom Ghias, J Pedro Simas, Zahra Hasan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Syed Hani AbidiDepartment of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-9497-0902
Kehkashan ImtiazDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Akbar KanjiDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Shama QaiserDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Erum KhanDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Kiran IqbalDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Marc VeldhoenInstituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Kulsoom GhiasDepartment of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
J Pedro SimasInstituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Zahra HasanDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-7580-372X
Aga Khan University · PKUniversity of Lisbon · PT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals recovering from COVID-19 are known to have antibodies against the Spike and other structural proteins. Antibodies against Spike have been shown to display viral neutralization. However, not all antibodies against Spike have neutralizing ability although they may be cross-reactive. There is a need for easy-to-use SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing assays for the determination of virus-neutralizing activity in sera of individuals. Here we describe a PCR-based micro-neutralization assay that can be used to evaluate the viral neutralization titers of serum from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.

methodsThe SARS-CoV-2 strain used was isolated from a nasopharyngeal specimen of a COVID-19 case. The limiting dilution method was used to obtain a 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) of Vero cells. For the micro-neutralization assay, 19 serum samples, with positive IgG titers against Spike Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD) were tested. After 24 hours, infected cells were inspected for the presence of a cytopathic effect, lysed and RNA RT-PCR conducted for SARS-CoV-2. PCR target Ct values were used to calculate percent neutralization/inhibition of SARS-CoV-2.

resultsOut of 19 samples, 13 samples gave 100% neutralization at all dilutions, 1 sample showed neutralization at the first dilution, 4 samples showed neutralization at lower dilutions, while one sample did not demonstrate any neutralization. The RBD ODs and neutralization potential percentages were found to be positively correlated.

conclusionWe describe a rapid RT-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 microneutralization assay for the detection of neutralizing antibodies. This can effectively be used to test the antiviral activity of serum antibodies for the investigation of both disease-driven and vaccine-induced responses.

Indexed as

COVID-19 Serological TestingAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19HumansNeutralization TestsReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionSARS-CoV-2Antibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, Viral

Identifiers

PMID34890401
PMCPMC8664206
OpenAlexW4226479312

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.