tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Clin Med
. 2020 Oct 23;9(11):E3401.
doi: 10.3390/jcm9113401.
Low Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies during Systematic Antibody Screening and Serum Responses in Patients after COVID-19 in a German Transplant Center
Mira Choi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Friederike Bachmann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marcel Ganesh Naik[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wiebke Duettmann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Michael Duerr[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bianca Zukunft[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tatjana Schwarz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Victor Max Corman[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Lutz Liefeldt[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Klemens Budde[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabian Halleck[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 denotes a global health issue. Data regarding COVID-19 incidence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are sparse. From 19 March to 19 May 2020, we performed a systematic screening for COVID-19 in KTR. Tests included serum analysis for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using S protein-based immunofluorescence, anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and/or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) from nasal-throat swabs. Outpatient serum samples from KTR with PCR confirmed COVID-19, and swab samples from recipients (+donors) undergoing kidney transplantation were analyzed. Out of 223 samples from outpatients, 13 patients were positive with solely anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgA and 3 with both anti-IgA and anti-IgG. In total, 53 patients were symptomatic in the past, but positive results could be found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. After an in depth analysis using immunofluorescence and neutralization tests in 2 KTR, recent COVID-19 infection remained highly suspicious. Apart from outpatient visits, only 5 out of 2044 KTR were symptomatic and tested positive via PCR, of which 4 recovered and one died. All patients showed seroconversion during the course of the disease. This study demonstrated a low seroprevalence in a German KTR cohort, and seroconversion of IgA and IgG after COVID-19 could be demonstrated. Effective containment strategies enabled us to continue our transplant program.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 serology; antibody testing; kidney transplantation.
. 2020 Oct 23;9(11):E3401.
doi: 10.3390/jcm9113401.
Low Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies during Systematic Antibody Screening and Serum Responses in Patients after COVID-19 in a German Transplant Center
Mira Choi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Friederike Bachmann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marcel Ganesh Naik[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wiebke Duettmann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Michael Duerr[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bianca Zukunft[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tatjana Schwarz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Victor Max Corman[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Lutz Liefeldt[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Klemens Budde[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabian Halleck[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33114149
- DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113401
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 denotes a global health issue. Data regarding COVID-19 incidence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are sparse. From 19 March to 19 May 2020, we performed a systematic screening for COVID-19 in KTR. Tests included serum analysis for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using S protein-based immunofluorescence, anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and/or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) from nasal-throat swabs. Outpatient serum samples from KTR with PCR confirmed COVID-19, and swab samples from recipients (+donors) undergoing kidney transplantation were analyzed. Out of 223 samples from outpatients, 13 patients were positive with solely anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgA and 3 with both anti-IgA and anti-IgG. In total, 53 patients were symptomatic in the past, but positive results could be found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. After an in depth analysis using immunofluorescence and neutralization tests in 2 KTR, recent COVID-19 infection remained highly suspicious. Apart from outpatient visits, only 5 out of 2044 KTR were symptomatic and tested positive via PCR, of which 4 recovered and one died. All patients showed seroconversion during the course of the disease. This study demonstrated a low seroprevalence in a German KTR cohort, and seroconversion of IgA and IgG after COVID-19 could be demonstrated. Effective containment strategies enabled us to continue our transplant program.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 serology; antibody testing; kidney transplantation.