tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Infect Dis
. 2022 Jul 25;jiac225.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac225. Online ahead of print.
Nucleocapsid Antigenemia Is a Marker of Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Hans P Verkerke[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Gregory L Damhorst[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Daniel S Graciaa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kaleb McLendon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], William O'Sick[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chad Robichaux[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Narayanaiah Cheedarla[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sindhu Potlapalli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shang Chuen Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kristin R V Harrington[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Andrew Webster[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Colleen Kraft[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christina A Rostad[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Jesse J Waggoner[SUP] 3 4 5 7 [/SUP], Neel R Gandhi[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Jeannette Guarner[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara C Auld[SUP] 6 8 [/SUP], Andrew Neish[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John D Roback[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wilbur A Lam[SUP] 4 7 9 10 [/SUP], N Sarita Shah[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Sean R Stowell[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is essential for diagnosis, treatment, and infection control. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fails to distinguish acute from resolved infections, as RNA is frequently detected after infectiousness. We hypothesized that nucleocapsid in blood marks acute infection with the potential to enhance isolation and treatment strategies. In a retrospective serosurvey of inpatient and outpatient encounters, we categorized samples along an infection timeline using timing of SARS-CoV-2 testing and symptomatology. Among 1860 specimens from 1607 patients, the highest levels and frequency of antigenemia were observed in samples from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antigenemia was higher in seronegative individuals and in those with severe disease. In our analysis, antigenemia exhibited 85.8% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity as a biomarker for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, antigenemia sensitively and specifically marks acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further study is warranted to determine whether antigenemia may aid individualized assessment of active COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antigenemia; nucleocapsid.
. 2022 Jul 25;jiac225.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac225. Online ahead of print.
Nucleocapsid Antigenemia Is a Marker of Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Hans P Verkerke[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Gregory L Damhorst[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Daniel S Graciaa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kaleb McLendon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], William O'Sick[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chad Robichaux[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Narayanaiah Cheedarla[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sindhu Potlapalli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shang Chuen Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kristin R V Harrington[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Andrew Webster[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Colleen Kraft[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christina A Rostad[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Jesse J Waggoner[SUP] 3 4 5 7 [/SUP], Neel R Gandhi[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Jeannette Guarner[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara C Auld[SUP] 6 8 [/SUP], Andrew Neish[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John D Roback[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wilbur A Lam[SUP] 4 7 9 10 [/SUP], N Sarita Shah[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Sean R Stowell[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35877413
- DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac225
Abstract
Detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is essential for diagnosis, treatment, and infection control. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fails to distinguish acute from resolved infections, as RNA is frequently detected after infectiousness. We hypothesized that nucleocapsid in blood marks acute infection with the potential to enhance isolation and treatment strategies. In a retrospective serosurvey of inpatient and outpatient encounters, we categorized samples along an infection timeline using timing of SARS-CoV-2 testing and symptomatology. Among 1860 specimens from 1607 patients, the highest levels and frequency of antigenemia were observed in samples from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antigenemia was higher in seronegative individuals and in those with severe disease. In our analysis, antigenemia exhibited 85.8% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity as a biomarker for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, antigenemia sensitively and specifically marks acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further study is warranted to determine whether antigenemia may aid individualized assessment of active COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antigenemia; nucleocapsid.