tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Infect Dis
. 2021 Jan 20;ciaa1706.
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1706. Online ahead of print.
Antigen-Based Testing but Not Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Correlates With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Culture
Andrew Pekosz[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Valentin Parvu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maggie Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeffrey C Andrews[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yukari C Manabe[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Salma Kodsi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Devin S Gary[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Celine Roger-Dalbert[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jeffry Leitch[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Charles K Cooper[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Individuals can test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by molecular assays following the resolution of their clinical disease. Recent studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 antigen-based tests are likely to be positive early in the disease course, when there is an increased likelihood of high levels of infectious virus.
Methods: Upper respiratory specimens from 251 participants with coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms (≤7 days from symptom onset) were prospectively collected and tested with a lateral flow antigen test and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Specimens from a subset of the study specimens were utilized to determine the presence of infectious virus in the VeroE6TMPRSS2 cell culture model.
Results: The antigen test demonstrated a higher positive predictive value (90%) than rt-PCR (70%) when compared to culture-positive results. The positive percentage agreement for detection of infectious virus for the antigen test was similar to rt-PCR when compared to culture results.
Conclusions: The correlation between SARS-CoV-2 antigen and SARS-CoV-2 culture positivity represents a significant advancement in determining the risk for potential transmissibility beyond that which can be achieved by detection of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA. SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing can facilitate low-cost, scalable, and rapid time-to-result, while providing good risk determination of those who are likely harboring infectious virus, compared to rt-PCR.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 live culture; antigen testing; rt-PCR testing; viral load.
. 2021 Jan 20;ciaa1706.
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1706. Online ahead of print.
Antigen-Based Testing but Not Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Correlates With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Culture
Andrew Pekosz[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Valentin Parvu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maggie Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeffrey C Andrews[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yukari C Manabe[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Salma Kodsi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Devin S Gary[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Celine Roger-Dalbert[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jeffry Leitch[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Charles K Cooper[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33479756
- DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1706
Abstract
Background: Individuals can test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by molecular assays following the resolution of their clinical disease. Recent studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 antigen-based tests are likely to be positive early in the disease course, when there is an increased likelihood of high levels of infectious virus.
Methods: Upper respiratory specimens from 251 participants with coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms (≤7 days from symptom onset) were prospectively collected and tested with a lateral flow antigen test and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Specimens from a subset of the study specimens were utilized to determine the presence of infectious virus in the VeroE6TMPRSS2 cell culture model.
Results: The antigen test demonstrated a higher positive predictive value (90%) than rt-PCR (70%) when compared to culture-positive results. The positive percentage agreement for detection of infectious virus for the antigen test was similar to rt-PCR when compared to culture results.
Conclusions: The correlation between SARS-CoV-2 antigen and SARS-CoV-2 culture positivity represents a significant advancement in determining the risk for potential transmissibility beyond that which can be achieved by detection of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA. SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing can facilitate low-cost, scalable, and rapid time-to-result, while providing good risk determination of those who are likely harboring infectious virus, compared to rt-PCR.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 live culture; antigen testing; rt-PCR testing; viral load.