Retrospective serological investigation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus antibodies in recruits from mainland China

Different assays were used to analyze 1,621 serum specimens collected from military recruits from the People's Republic of China in 2002 for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus antibodies. The results demonstrated that the subjects either had rarely been exposed to the virus before the 2003 SARS outbreak or had not been exposed but the nucleocapsid protein cross-reacted with other antibodies in humans.     

抗SARS病毒N蛋白单克隆抗体的制备和初步应用

目的 制备抗SARS病毒N蛋白的单克隆抗体并研究其初步应用。方法 用基因重组N蛋白免疫小鼠，取免疫后的鼠脾细胞与骨髓瘤细胞融合，筛选分泌抗SAPS病毒N蛋白单克隆抗体细胞株。将阳性细胞株接种小鼠腹腔制备单克隆抗体腹水并对抗体进行纯化，分析纯化抗体的相对亲和力。选择亲和力较高的抗体制备检测SARS病毒抗原的酶联免疫诊断试剂，并对其敏感性和特异性进行分析。结果 共获得11株单克隆抗体细胞株，其中3株单抗与N蛋白具有较高的亲和力，4株纯化单抗与N蛋白反应很弱，其余4株单抗介于两者之间。用亲和力较高的单抗制备检测SARS病毒抗原的诊断试剂，其敏感性可达31PFU／ml，而且与其他呼吸道病毒无交叉反应。结论 该试剂特异性较好，可用于SARS病毒抗原的检测，其敏感性仍需用临床急性期样品进行评价。     

人源抗SARS病毒噬菌体抗体库的构建及筛选

目的: 构建人源抗SARS病毒的Fab片段抗体基因的噬菌体表面呈现文库, 筛选抗SARS病毒特异性的噬菌体抗体。方法: 用PCR扩增人Fab片段抗体基因, 连入载体pComb3内, 构建噬菌体抗体库。以固相化的SARS抗原淘筛抗体库, 并用ELISA检测噬菌体抗体结合SARS病毒的特异性。结果: 用PCR共扩增出 13条Ig基因片段。电转化构建的噬菌体抗体库的库容为 1. 3×106, Fab基因的重组率为60%。以纯化的SARS抗原淘筛 3轮, 特异性富集了抗SARS病毒的噬菌体抗体, 并用ELISA法从中筛选出了 10个结合活性好、特异性强的克隆。结论: 成功地构建了人源抗SARS病毒的组合抗体文库, 从中获得人源抗SARS病毒的特异性抗体。     

严重急性呼吸综合征自身免疫指标的初步研究

目的　探讨严重急性呼吸综合征(SARS)患者是否存在着自身免疫现象,寻找患者体内异常出现的抗自身组织器官的抗体。方法　随机选取2 7例SARS患者及18例健康献血员对照血清同时应用免疫荧光法检测抗核抗体(ANA)、抗平滑肌抗体(SMA)、抗线粒体抗体(AMA)、抗胃壁细胞抗体(PCA)、抗心肌抗体(HRA) ,应用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测抗肝肾微粒体抗体(LKM)及抗线粒体M2亚型抗体,同时利用猴肺组织基质片应用免疫荧光法定位血清中的SARS相关抗体的靶细胞。结果　2 7例SARS患者中有3例ANA阳性、1例SMA阳性、1例AMA阳性、1例LKM阳性、其余均为阴性;18例献血员中有1例ANA阳性、1例AMA阳性,其余均为阴性。统计分析表明SARS患者与献血员间各项自身抗体阳性率差异均不具有统计学意义。在2 7例SARS患者血清中有2 6例在肺组织细小支气管柱状上皮细胞的腔面尖端呈现强阳性荧光信号,献血员中有5例,统计分析表明两者阳性率差异有统计学意义。结论　SARS患者未出现抗肺外组织、器官的自身抗体。患者血清中出现了抗肺组织的自身抗体,定位于细小支气管柱状上皮细胞。     

Development of a Western Blot Assay for Detection of Antibodies against Coronavirus Causing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

To identify a major antigenic determinant for use in the development of a rapid serological diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus infection and to study the immune response during SARS coronavirus infection in humans, we cloned the full length and six truncated fragments of the nucleocapsid gene, expressed them, and purified them as glutathione S-transferase-tagged recombinant proteins. The reactivities of the recombinant proteins to a panel of antibodies containing 33 SARS coronavirus-positive sera and 66 negative sera and to antibodies against other animal coronaviruses were screened. A truncated 195-amino-acid fragment from the C terminus of the nucleocapsid protein (N195) was identified that had a strong ability to detect antibodies against SARS coronavirus. No cross-reaction was found between the N195 protein and antibodies against chicken, pig, and canine coronaviruses. The N195 protein was used to develop a Western blot assay to detect antibodies against SARS coronavirus in 274 clinically blinded samples. The specificity and sensitivity of this test were 98.3 and 90.9%, respectively. The correlation between our Western blotting assay and an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was also analyzed. The results of our Western blot assay and IFA for the detection of SARS coronavirus-positive sera were the same. Thus, the N195 protein was identified as a suitable protein to be used as an antigen in Western blot and other possible assays for the detection of SARS coronavirus infection.     

人冠状病毒229E、OC43与SARS-CoV血清学相关性的研究

目的 检测正常人和SARS患者血清中3种人冠状病毒（229E、OCA3和SARS-CoV）特异性抗体．分析3种冠状病毒血清学相关性。方法 采用免疫印迹、免疫荧光和ELISA方法检测100例健康献血员、34例SARS患者恢复期以及11例SARS患者双份血清中229E、OCA3和SARS-CoV3种冠状病毒核衣壳（N）蛋白抗体。结果 用免疫荧光方法检测100例健康献血员血清中229E、OCA3和SARS-CoV IgG阳性率分别为98％、100％和1％，34例SARS患者恢复期血清中3种冠状病毒IgG的阳性率均为100％；免疫印迹检测100例健康献血员血清中229E、OCA3和SARS-CoVN蛋白IgG阳性率分别9r7％、99％和2％，34例SARS患者恢复期血清中229E、OCA3和SARS-CoVN蛋白IgG阳性率分别97％、100％和100％；11例SARS患者的急性期和恢复期双份血清中，免疫荧光检测有5例出现229E IgG滴度4倍或以上升高，10例出现OC43 IgG滴度4倍或以上升高，ELISA检测2例出现229EN蛋白IgG滴度4倍以上升高，没有一例出现OCA3N蛋白抗体滴度升高。结论 正常人群中普遍存在229E和OCA3两种人冠状病毒抗体，SARS-CoV感染者存在对人冠状病毒229E和OCA3血清学交叉反应，提示核衣壳蛋白不是引起血清学交叉反应的主要抗原，结果对研究SARS溯源有重要意义。     

Development of a Western blot assay for detection of antibodies against coronavirus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome

To identify a major antigenic determinant for use in the development of a rapid serological diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus infection and to study the immune response during SARS coronavirus infection in humans, we cloned the full length and six truncated fragments of the nucleocapsid gene, expressed them, and purified them as glutathione S-transferase-tagged recombinant proteins. The reactivities of the recombinant proteins to a panel of antibodies containing 33 SARS coronavirus-positive sera and 66 negative sera and to antibodies against other animal coronaviruses were screened. A truncated 195-amino-acid fragment from the C terminus of the nucleocapsid protein (N195) was identified that had a strong ability to detect antibodies against SARS coronavirus. No cross-reaction was found between the N195 protein and antibodies against chicken, pig, and canine coronaviruses. The N195 protein was used to develop a Western blot assay to detect antibodies against SARS coronavirus in 274 clinically blinded samples. The specificity and sensitivity of this test were 98.3 and 90.9%, respectively. The correlation between our Western blotting assay and an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was also analyzed. The results of our Western blot assay and IFA for the detection of SARS coronavirus-positive sera were the same. Thus, the N195 protein was identified as a suitable protein to be used as an antigen in Western blot and other possible assays for the detection of SARS coronavirus infection.     

严重急性呼吸综合征患者IgG抗体的研究

目的　探讨血清特异性IgG抗体检测对严重急性呼吸综合征 (SARS)临床诊断的意义及影响因素。方法　用华大公司研制的SARS冠状病毒抗体 (IgG)酶联免疫试剂盒 ,对部分住院SARS患者的血清进行IgG抗体检测 ,统计分析不同年龄、性别和激素使用患者的SARS特异性抗体的产生情况。结果　在确诊的 12 1例患者中 ,IgG抗体阳性率为 71 1% ,年龄 <15岁、15～ 5 9岁和 6 0岁以上的患者 ,阳性检测率分别为 6 0 0 %、70 2 %和 85 7% ,差异无显著意义 (P =0 76 6 ) ;使用激素和不使用激素的患者 ,阳性率分别为 70 6 %和 72 4 % (P =0 84 ) ;病重和病情较轻患者的阳性检测率分别为78 1%和 6 7 4 % (P =0 4 93) ;男性和女性患者检测率均为 71 1%。结论　SARS特异性IgG抗体检测的敏感性有待进一步提高 ,IgG抗体的产生与性别、年龄、病情轻重和激素的使用无显著性关系。     

Identification of a critical neutralization determinant of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus: importance for designing SARS vaccines

The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is not only responsible for receptor binding, but also a major antigenic determinant capable of inducing protective immunity. In this study, we demonstrated that the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of S protein is an important immunogenic site in patients with SARS and rabbits immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV. Serum samples from convalescent SARS patients and immunized rabbits had potent neutralizing activities against infection by pseudovirus expressing SARS-CoV S protein. Depletion of RBD-specific antibodies from patient or rabbit immune sera by immunoadsorption significantly reduced serum-mediated neutralizing activity, while affinity-purified anti-RBD antibodies had relatively higher potency neutralizing infectivity of SARS pseudovirus, indicating that the RBD of S protein is a critical neutralization determinant of SARS-CoV during viral infection and immunization. Two monoclonal antibodies (1A5 and 2C5) targeting at the RBD of S protein were isolated from mice immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV. Both 1A5 and 2C5 possessed potent neutralizing activities, although they directed against distinct conformation-dependant epitopes as shown by ELISA and binding competition assay. We further demonstrated that 2C5, but not 1A5, was able to block binding of the RBD to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the functional receptor on targeted cells. These data provide important information for understanding the antigenicity and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV and for designing SARS vaccines.     

Investigation of interaction between two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and SARS virus using biosensor based on imaging ellipsometry

Two neutralizing human scFv, b1 and h12 were identified initially using ELISA,employing highly purified virus as the coating antigen. The biosensor technique based on imaging ellipsometry was employed directly to detect two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and serial serum samples from 10 SARS patients and 12 volunteers who had not SARS. Further, the kinetic process of interaction between the antibodies and SARS-CoV was studied using the real-time function of the biosensor. The biosensor is consistent with ELISA that the antibody h12 showed a higher affinity in encountering the virus than antibody b1. The affinity of antibody b1 and antibody h12 was 9.5 × 10⁶ M⁻¹ and 1.36 × 10⁷ M^{− 1}, respectively. As a label free method, the biosensor based on imaging ellipsometry proved to be a more competent mechanism for measuring serum samples from SARS patients and the affinity between these antibodies and the SARS coronavirus.     

Seropositivity of Anti-SARS CoV2 IgG antibodies in health care workers of an Indian tertiary care hospital during COVID-19

PurposeHealth care workers [HCW] are at a higher risk of infection SARS CoV2 infection due to frequent and close contact to patients with COVID-19.MethodsSerum samples from 500 HCW's were tested for SARS CoV2 IgG antibodies in October 2020. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data. All these HCWs were tested for COVID-19, in 2nd week of September 2020, as a hospital policy.ResultsAnti SARS CoV2 antibodies were detected in 128/ 500 [25.6%] HCWs. A total of 195/ 500 [39%] enrolled cases had already tested positive for Covid-19 at least once in last six months by RT-PCR. Sixty eight percent of HCWs with previous COVID-19 positivity by RT- PCR tested positive for Anti SARS CoV2 antibodies, whereas only 2.76% of asymptomatic HCWs tested positive. Of 121 anti SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive persons, 70 [57.85%] had CT value ?< ?25. Low CT value and asymptomatic cases had a strong reverse statistically significant association with SARS CoV2 IgG antibody positivity.ConclusionsWe report that sero-conversion rate in HCWs is similar to that in general population suggesting that preventive practices used in hospitals are satisfactory. Cases with low viral counts in respiratory sample and asymptomatic cases have lower rate of seroconversion.     

A review of studies on animal reservoirs of the SARS coronavirus

In this review, we summarize the researches on animal reservoirs of the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Masked palm civets were suspected as the origin of the SARS outbreak in 2003 and was confirmed as the direct origin of SARS cases with mild symptom in 2004. Sequence analysis of the SARS-CoV-like virus in masked palm civets indicated that they were highly homologous to human SARS-CoV with nt identity over 99.6%, indicating the virus has not been circulating in the population of masked palm civets for a very long time. Alignment of 10 complete viral genome sequences from masked palm civets with those of human SARS-CoVs revealed 26 conserved single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) in the viruses from masked palm civets. These conserved SNVs were gradually lost from the genomes of viruses isolated from the early phase to late phase human patients of the 2003 SARS epidemic. In 2005, horseshoe bats were identified as the natural reservoir of a group of coronaviruses that are distantly related to SARS-CoV. The genome sequences of bat SARS-like coronavirus had about 88-92% nt identity with that of the SARS-CoV. The prevalence of antibodies and viral RNA in different bat species and the characteristics of the bat SARS-like coronavirus were elucidated. Apart from masked palm civets and bats, 29 other animal species had been tested for the SARS-CoV, and the results are summarized in this paper.     

Human-leukocyte antigen class I Cw 1502 and class II DR 0301 genotypes are associated with resistance to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infection

One-hundred and thirty confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were recruited to evaluate their anti-SARS-coronavirus (CoV) antibody status and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types in September 2006, 3 y after the SARS outbreaks in Taiwan. Western blot assay showed that 6.9% of participants still had anti-spike and anti-nucleocapside antibodies. A case-control study of the association of HLA with SARS revealed that the HLA-Cw1502 and DR0301 alleles conferred resistance against SARS infection (p<0.05).     

SARS患者脾树突状细胞和巨噬细胞的免疫组织化学观察

目的 对严重急性呼吸综合征(SARS)患者脾树突状细胞、巨噬细胞数量和巨噬细胞大小进行定量分析,为SARS的病理变化和发病机制的探讨提供证据.方法 通过免疫组织化学技术对6例SARS死亡患者脾和6例意外死亡者正常脾S-100 、CD68 、 HLA-DR 、CD83 细胞的分布进行观察,并采用图像分析系统对阳性细胞数量或体积进行分析.结果 SARS死亡患者脾内白髓中S-100 树突状细胞数较正常平均减少80.49%,有的甚至完全消失;脾红髓中CD68 巨噬细胞数量较正常平均减少39.48%,体积是正常平均值的2.21倍.脾白髓中HLA-DR 抗原呈递细胞明显减少.SARS死亡患者脾与正常脾中均无CD83 成熟树突状细胞.结论 SARS患者免疫系统中抗原呈递系统遭到严重破坏,支持SARS是一种病毒性免疫缺陷病.SARS病毒不能引发树突状细胞成熟.巨噬细胞的体积增大处于激活状态,提示巨噬细胞在SARS发病机制中起一定作用.     

False positive antibody results against human T-cell lymphotropic virus in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome

Taiwan suffered from the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Our laboratory performed a series of virology and serology tests for SARS patients admitted to our hospital. Cross-reactivity was found when testing for antibody against human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) in one patient with SARS. Therefore, antibodies against HTLV were examined in paired-sera from 26 SARS patients. ELISA and a neutralization test were used to measure anti-SARS antibodies. Seroconversion for antibody against SARS-CoV was observed in all patients. Surprisingly, with the use of ELISA for HTLV, sera for 13 patients were positive for HTLV (50%), and seroconversion for HTLV was also observed in 10 patients (38.5%). Western blot for HTLV on those 26 paired-sera from 13 HTLV-positive patients displayed 5 positive results for HTLV-I, 7 positive results for HTLV-II, 1 positive result for both HTLV-I and II, 9 negative results for either HTLV-I or HTLV-II, and 4 "indeterminate" results. The findings that antibody to HTLV can be detected in blood samples collected from SARS patients provide important information for safe handling of blood products. Without such knowledge, blood products can be discarded mistakenly even though they contain anti-SARS-CoV antibodies that may be potentially valuable for SARS therapy.     

Serological responses in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection and cross-reactivity with human coronaviruses 229E, OC43, and NL63

The serological response profile of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) infection was defined by neutralization tests and subclass-specific immunofluorescent (IF) tests using serial sera from 20 patients. SARS CoV total immunoglobulin (Ig) (IgG, IgA, and IgM [IgGAM]) was the first antibody to be detectable. There was no difference in time to seroconversion between the patients who survived (n = 14) and those who died (n = 6). Although SARS CoV IgM was still detectable by IF tests with 8 of 11 patients at 7 months postinfection, the geometric mean titers dropped from 282 at 1 month postinfection to 19 at 7 months (P = 0.001). In contrast, neutralizing antibody and SARS CoV IgGAM and IgG antibody titers remained stable over this period. The SARS CoV antibody response was sometimes associated with an increase in preexisting IF IgG antibody titers for human coronaviruses OC43, 229E, and NL63. There was no change in IF IgG titer for virus capsid antigen from the herpesvirus that was used as an unrelated control, Epstein-Barr virus. In contrast, patients who had OC43 infections, and probably also 229E infections, without prior exposure to SARS CoV had increases of antibodies specific for the infecting virus but not for SARS CoV. There is a need for awareness of cross-reactive antibody responses between coronaviruses when interpreting IF serology.     

冠状病毒感染细胞抗原片法检测SARS患者血清中特异性抗体

目的：检测SAILS患者血清中特异性抗冠状病毒抗体及其滴度变化，协助临床确诊SAILS。方法：用本次爆发SAILS患者鼻腔抽吸液分离的冠状病毒感染新生恒河猴肾细胞，制备抗原片，用间接免疫荧光法检测患者体内急性期和恢复期血清中的抗冠状病毒抗体。结果：汕头地区7例SAILS患者血清内均有特异性抗冠状病毒抗体，且恢复期抗体滴度比急性期的滴度增高4倍以上。结论：用冠状病毒感染细胞抗原片对怀疑感染SAILS的患者血清进行特异性抗体检测，可协助临床确定SAPS的诊断。     

A serological survey on neutralizing antibody titer of SARS convalescent sera

A seroepidemiologic study was conducted in North China in 2003 to determine the neutralizing antibody titer of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) convalescent sera. A total of 99 SARS convalescent serum samples were collected from patients from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei Province, and Beijing 35-180 days after the onset of symptoms. The anti-SARS antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), neutralization assay, and Western blot. Eighty-seven serum samples were confirmed to be positive for SARS antibodies. The neutralizing antibody titer of the 87 positive sera was analyzed quantitatively by neutralization assay. The geometric mean titer (GMT) of the 87 convalescent sera was 1:61. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test showed that the neutralizing antibody titers conform to normal distribution, which suggests that the average anti-SARS antibody level in this study was representative of the convalescent antibody level of the SARS population. This result could be useful for the development and quality control of SARS vaccines.     

Evaluation of a recombinant nucleocapsid protein-based assay for anti-SARS-CoV IgG detection

A high throughput accurate assay for anti-SARS-CoV IgG detection is needed for large-scale epidemiological studies. The evaluation of a commercial recombinant nucleocapsid protein-based microtitre plate enzyme immunoassay, ELISARS is described. The results on 150 sera from SARS patients and 450 sera from non-SARS controls showed that this assay had a high level of sensitivity (96.2% for late serum samples) and specificity (97.8%). The performance and setup of this assay fulfills the requirement as a screening test for large-scale studies. A vast majority of SARS patients developed antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein. In some patients (10/45), a high level of anti-nucleocapsid antibody appeared very early in the course of the illness. In contrast, a minority (4 of 105 patients) never developed these antibodies. The implication of differences in antibody response to the nucleocapsid protein deserves further investigation.