Longitudinal profile of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nucleocapsid protein in patients with pneumonia due to the SARS coronavirus

By using a recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and serum specimens serially collected (from day 0 to day 240 after symptom onset) from patients with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV, we analyzed the longitudinal profiles of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibodies against the SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein in patients with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV. For IgG, the median optical density at 450 nm (OD450) turned positive at day 17 and a biphasic response was observed. At day 240, all patients were still positive for anti-nucleocapsid protein IgG antibody. For IgM, the median OD450 turned positive at day 20.5, peaked at about day 80, and fell to below the baseline level at about day 180. At day 240, 36% of the patients were still positive for anti-nucleocapsid protein IgM antibody. For IgA, the median OD450 turned positive at day 17, peaked at about day 50, and fell to below the baseline level at about day 180. At day 240, 36% of the patients were still positive for anti-nucleocapsid protein IgA antibody. The time of seroconversion detected by the recombinant SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein-based ELISA and that detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay were similar. The median times of seroconversion for IgG, IgM, and IgA detected by the indirect immunofluorescence assay were 17 days (17 days by ELISA), 16.5 days (20.5 days by ELISA), and 17.5 days (17 days by ELISA), respectively, after disease onset. One, four, and one of the six patients who died did not produce any IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV, respectively, although these antibodies were detected in all six patients by the indirect immunofluorescence assay. Further studies should be performed to see whether SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein antibody positivity has any prognostic significance.     

Detection of specific antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nucleocapsid protein for serodiagnosis of SARS coronavirus pneumonia

We report the evaluation of recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based antibody tests for serodiagnosis of SARS-CoV pneumonia and compare the sensitivities and specificities of this ELISA for detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, IgA, and their combinations with serum samples from 149 healthy blood donors who donated blood 3 years ago as controls and 106 SARS-CoV pneumonia patients in Hong Kong. The specificities of the ELISA for IgG, IgM, and IgA detection were 95.3, 96.6, and 96.6%, respectively, with corresponding sensitivities of 94.3, 59.4, and 60.4%, respectively. The present ELISA appears to be a sensitive test for serodiagnosis of SARS-CoV pneumonia, is much more economical and less labor-intensive than the indirect immunofluorescence assay, and does not require cultivation of SARS-CoV.     

Differential sensitivities of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus spike polypeptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid protein ELISA for serodiagnosis of SARS coronavirus pneumonia

The use of recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein (N) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based antibody and antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV infections have been widely reported. However, no recombinant SARS-CoV spike protein (S)-based ELISA is currently available. In this article, we describe the problems and solutions of setting up the recombinant SARS-CoV S-based ELISA for antibody detection. The SARS-CoV S-based immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG ELISAs were evaluated and compared with the corresponding N-based ELISA for serodiagnosis of SARS-CoV pneumonia, using sera from 148 healthy blood donors who donated blood 3 years ago as controls and 95 SARS-CoV pneumonia patients in Hong Kong. Results obtained by the recombinant S (rS)-based IgG ELISA using the regenerated S prepared by dialysis with decreasing concentrations of urea or direct addition of different coating buffers, followed by addition of different regeneration buffer, identified 4 M urea and 1 M sarcosine for plate coating and no regeneration buffer as the most optimal conditions for antibody detection. The specificities of the S-based ELISA for IgG and IgM detection were 98.6% and 93.9%, with corresponding sensitivities of 58.9% and 74.7%, respectively. The sensitivity of the rN IgG ELISA (94.7%) is significantly higher than that of the rS IgG ELISA (P < 0.001), whereas the sensitivity of the rS IgM ELISA is significantly higher than that of the rN IgM ELISA (55.2%) (P < 0.01). An ELISA for detection of IgM against S and N could be more sensitive than one that detects IgM against N alone for serodiagnosis of SARS-CoV pneumonia.     

Recombinant truncated nucleocapsid protein as antigen in a novel immunoglobulin M capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection

We report the development of an immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) by using recombinant truncated SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein as the antigen. The newly developed MAC-ELISA had a specificity and sensitivity of 100% as evaluated by using sera from healthy volunteers and patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS. Using serial serum samples collected from SARS patients, the times to seroconversion were determined by IgM antibody detection after SARS-CoV infection. The median time to seroconversion detection was 8 days (range, 5 to 17 days) after disease onset, and the seroconversion rates after the onset of illness were 33% by the first week, 97% by the second week, and 100% by the third week. Compared with the results of our previous report on the detection of IgG, the median seroconversion time by IgM detection was 3 days earlier and the seroconversion rate by the second week after the illness for IgM was significantly higher than by IgG assay. Our results indicating that the IgM response appears earlier than IgG after SARS-CoV infection in consistent with those for other pathogens. Our newly developed MAC-ELISA system offers a new alternative for the confirmation of SARS-CoV infection.     

Recombinant nucleocapsid protein-based IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the serological diagnosis of SARS

The recombinant nucleocapsid protein (rNP) of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was expressed in a baculovirus system. The purified SARS-CoV rNP was used as an antigen for detection of SARS-CoV antibodies in IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA was evaluated in comparison with neutralizing antibody assay and the authentic SARS-CoV antigen-based IgG ELISA. Two-hundred and seventy-six serum samples were collected from health care workers in a hospital in which a nosocomial SARS outbreak took place and used for evaluation. The SARS-CoV rNP-based IgG ELISA has 92% of sensitivity and specificity compared with the neutralizing antibody assay and 94% sensitivity and specificity compared with the authentic SARS-CoV antigen-based IgG ELISA. The results suggest that the newly developed SARS-CoV rNP-based IgG ELISA is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and seroepidemiological study of SARS. The SARS-CoV rNP-based IgG ELISA has an advantage over the conventional IgG ELISA in that the antigen can be prepared by laboratory workers without the risk of infection.     

Cloning, sequencing, expression, and purification of SARS-associated coronavirus nucleocapsid protein for serodiagnosis of SARS

A novel coronavirus has been associated with a worldwide outbreak of atypical pneumonia referred to as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). SARS-CoV nucleocapsid (N) protein has been cloned sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli strain. Purified N protein was used to measure the SARS-CoV specific IgG antibodies from 16 SARS-CoV infected patients' sera and from 131 control subjects using ELISA assay. Specific antibody responses to the purified recombinant N protein after 10, 20, and 30 days of disease onset were observed in 13 of 16 (81.3%), 16 of 16 (100%) and 16 of 16 (100%) SARS patients sera, respectively. Comparison of detection results with a commercially available diagnostic kit coated with a mixture of SARS-CoV viral proteins showed 9 of 16 (56.3%), 13 of 16 (81.3%), and 15 of 16 (93.7%) positive responses, respectively. None of 131 control sera gave positive reaction in either assay. This data suggests that the N protein of SARS-CoV is immunodominant and this ELISA based test assay for detecting the SARS-CoV N antigen may hold a significant value for SARS diagnosis.     

Comparison of immunoglobulin G responses to the spike and nucleocapsid proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus in patients with SARS

Both the nucleocapsid (N) and the spike (S) proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) are able to induce strong humoral responses in humans following an infection. To compare the immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to the S and N proteins of SARS-CoV in SARS patients during the manifestation/convalescent period with those during the postinfection period, serum samples were collected from hospitalized SARS patients within 6 weeks after the onset of illness (set 1; 57 sequential samples from 19 patients) or 2 to 3 months after their recovery (set 2; 33 postinfection samples from 33 subjects). Serum samples from 100 healthy blood donors (set 3), collected in 2002, were also included. The specific IgG response to whole virus, the fragment from positions 450 to 650 of the S protein (S450-650), and the full-length N protein of SARS-CoV were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Western blot assays were carried out to confirm the ELISA results. Fifty-one of the serum samples in set 1 (89%) bound to the N protein, a proportion similar to that which recognized whole virus (79%) and the S-protein fragment (77%). All 33 serum samples from set 2 were strongly positive for N-protein-specific IgG, while 27 (82%) were positive for anti-S450-650 IgG. Two of the serum samples from set 3 were strongly positive for anti-N-protein IgG but not anti-S450-650 IgG. Similar levels of IgG responses to the S and N proteins were observed in SARS patients during the manifestation and convalescent stages. In the postinfection period, however, a number of patients had much lower serum IgG levels against S450-650 than against the N protein.     

传播链和非传播链SARS患者中SARS冠状病毒抗体的分布及变化规律

目的　探讨人体对SARS CoV血清抗体反应及分布规律。方法　对 30 1例临床诊断病例的血清标本 (其中传播链上的病例 15 8例 ,非传播链病例 14 3例 ) ;采用北京华大GBI生物技术有限公司生产的间接ELISA试剂 ,进行SARS CoVIgG抗体的检测 ,部分病例还进行了SARS CoVIgM的检测。结果　传播链涉及 15条 ,最多涉及 4代 ,各条链的SARSIgG抗体阳性率为 85 70 %～ 10 0 .0 0 % ,总阳性率为 94 30 % (14 9 15 8)。SARS病例数随代数增加而减少。但各代间IgG阳性率的差异无显著意义 ;χ2 =5 11,P >0 0 5。非传播链病例的血清抗体阳性率为 12 5 9% (18 14 3)。与传播链的阳性率比较 ,两者间的差异有显著意义 ;χ2 =199 6 4 ,P <0 0 0 1。在发病后的 0～ 7d、8～ 14d、15～ 2 1d、2 2～ 30d内 ,SARS CoVIgG的累计阳性率分别为 16 6 7%、4 0 0 0 %、70 0 0 %、93 10 % ;然后进入平台期 ,并可以维持 6个月以上。在发病 7d内 ,SARS CoVIgM的累计阳性率为 16 6 7% ,8～ 14d时 ,已有 5 5 17%的标本IgM抗体阳转 ,在 2 1～ 30d时 ,抗体阳性率达高峰 (86 96 % ) ,以后迅速下降。结论　SARS感染后 ,94 %的感染者可产生IgG抗体。检测该抗体可以作为临床核实诊断的依据。SARS CoVIgG抗体在 7d时可能检出 ,一般在 4周达     

Recombinant protein-based ELISA and immuno-cytochemical assay for the diagnosis of SARS

A new Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is the aetiological agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Because of the critical role played by serological assays for SARS diagnosis, an in-house ELISA based on SARS-CoV recombinant antigens was developed. The SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein (N), three N fragments (N1, N2, and N3) and the intraviral domain of the membrane protein (M2) were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as histidine-tagged proteins. Six reference sera from SARS patients were used to detect virus-specific IgG in an ELISA using each recombinant protein as coating antigen. High-titre positive reactions were detected in all SARS positive sera. The specificity of the assay appears to be high as no positive reaction was detected in the sera of 20 healthy subjects and 73 patients with non-SARS, low-tract respiratory infections. Specific hyper-immune sera to SARS-CoV and the recombinant proteins, N, N1, N2, N3, and M2 were also generated in mice and rabbits. The specificity of these sera was confirmed by an immunocytochemical assay on biochips of SARS-CoV infected and uninfected cells.     

灭活SARS病毒的免疫原性的实验研究

研究灭活SARS病毒的免疫原性。SARS病毒F6 9株经甲醛灭活后 ,加入氢氧化铝佐剂 ,以 3种剂量接种BALB/c小鼠 ,定时采血 ,测定特异性抗体的滴度及其中和活性 ,同时用化学发光酶联免疫法测定抗血清与SARS病毒结构蛋白的反应特异性及其相对强度。结果发现 ,小鼠接种疫苗 4d后 ,血清中可检测到IgM抗体 ,直至 2 6d后逐渐下降 ;IgG抗体在初次免疫 8d后出现 ,4 7d时达最高峰 ,6 3d后进入稳定期 ;不同剂量组的抗体滴度具有明显剂效关系 ,低剂量组和中剂量组滴度峰值为 1∶192 0 0 ,高剂量组滴度峰值为 1∶384 0 0。中和实验结果表明 ,小鼠所产生的抗体具有中和病毒活性 ,在 6 3d时 ,低剂量组和中剂量组血清的中和效价为 1∶12 80 ,高剂量组血清的中和效价为 1∶5 12 0。抗体分类结果表明 ,小鼠抗血清中含有针对多种SARS病毒结构蛋白的特异性抗体 ,其中 ,针对N蛋白、S4蛋白和S2蛋白的抗体水平相对较高 ,而抗M抗体、抗 3CL抗体的水平相对较低。上述结果说明 ,SARS病毒F6 9株经甲醛灭活后 ,各主要结构蛋白仍保持较强免疫原性 ;免疫小鼠后 ,可以诱导产生高滴度的特异性混合抗体 ,在体外可以保护敏感细胞不受SARS病毒攻击     

严重急性呼吸综合征患者相关病毒的随访监测及意义

目的 随访监测确诊SARS患者,研究SARS-CoV、新型呼肠病毒和脊髓灰质炎病毒在患者体内的存在状况及与SARS的可能相关性.方法 采集8例SARS患者痊愈2年后的咽拭子、唾液（或痰液）、尿液、血清及连续3天的粪便标本,用RT-PCR的方法分别扩增SARS-CoV、呼肠病毒和脊髓灰质炎病毒;采用ELISA的方法检测患者血清中的SARS-CoV抗体和脊髓灰质炎病毒IgG抗体.结果 8例患者中有4例的粪便中脊髓灰质炎病毒RNA阳性,均为Sabin 1毒株,在5′端非编码区的第480nt及VP1蛋白编码区的第2795nt两个重要的减毒位点上均发生了回复突变;SARS-CoV和新型呼肠病毒均阴性.对照组标本中均未检测到上述三种病毒.3例随访患者血清中SARS-CoV抗体阳性;4例患者血清中脊髓灰质炎IgG抗体阳性.25例健康体检者的血清中SARS-CoV抗体均阴性,其中23例的血清中脊髓灰质炎病毒抗体阳性.结论SARS患者痊愈2年后的血清中特异性脊髓灰质炎病毒抗体与健康人有显著差异,其粪便标本中仍有较高的脊髓灰质炎病毒阳性率,而且病毒核酸在两个重要的减毒位点上均发生了回复突变.     

用重组汉坦病毒NP、GP检测急性期HFRS患者血清中特异性IgG、IgM、IgA抗体

目的 探讨肾综合征出血热(HFRS)患者急性期IgA、IgG、IgM抗体的变化规律。方法 使用套式RT-PCR检测此次病毒感染情况。用杆状病毒表达的汉坦病毒重组核蛋白(rNP)和糖蛋白(rGP)为抗原，使用ELISA方法检测了14例急性期肾综合征出血热患者的6l份系列血清中的IgA、IgG、IgM抗体。结果 14例肾综合征出血热患者中，ll例患者的血清用RT-PCR检出家鼠型汉坦病毒核酸。几乎所有肾综合征出血热患者早期即有IgA、IgM、IgG抗体的迅速升高，抗rNP抗体滴度明显高于rGP。3种抗rNP抗体中早期IgG上升趋势最为显著，IgM与IgA次之，IgM与IgA上升趋势相近，但IgA的滴度明显高于IgM。抗rGP抗体中XgA变化最显著，IgG次之。IgM发病2周内总的变化趋势不明显，但是发病l周内滴度上升趋势明显，而发病第2周内则呈下降趋势。其中l例RT-PCR阳性的患者，早期IgM未测出，IgA的滴度却较高。l例重度患者，抗糖蛋白IgG、IgM和IgA抗体滴度均低于其他患者，且整个急性期一直维持较低水平。结论 肾综合征出血热急性期IgA、IgG、lgM变化具有明显的规律，抗糖蛋白和核蛋白抗体病患规律不同，检测IgM的同时检测IgA，可以提高诊断的准确性。     

SARS患者特异性SARS-CoV抗体变化的观察

目的　研究SARS患者特异性SARS CoV抗体IgG、IgM动态变化规律 ,探讨机体感染SARS CoV后免疫应答的可能模式及流行病学意义 ,为科学的防治SARS提供理论依据。方法　ELISA测定北京地区最早感染SARS CoV的 3条传播链的SARS患者 4 7例 ,12 4份血清中SARS CoV特异性抗体IgG、IgM。其中 ,山西链 9人 ,13份血清 ;香港链 31人 ,84份血清 ;北京链 7人 ,2 7份血清。结果　 3条传播链SARS患者IgM阳性率 73% ,IgG阳性率 86 %。IgM最早于发病第 6天出现 ,阳性率高峰在病程 2～ 3周 ;持续时间短 ,1月后 6 0 %患者IgM逐渐阴转。IgG最早也可在发病第 6天出现 ,阳性率高峰在病程 3～ 4周 ,3月后IgG抗体阳性率减少。机体感染SARS CoV后 ,抗体出现有 3种模式。结论　机体感染SARS CoV后 ,近 90 %患者可出现特异性IgG ,病程 3～ 4周阳性率最高 ;特异性IgM抗体在病程2～ 3周阳性率最高 ,但多数只持续 2 0～ 30d。特异性IgG抗体表现 3种免疫应答模式。     

Chronological evolution of IgM, IgA, IgG and neutralisation antibodies after infection with SARS-associated coronavirus

Abstract Serum levels of IgG, IgM and IgA against severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) were detected serially with the use of immunofluorescent antibody assays in 30 patients with SARS. Seroconversion for IgG (mean 10 days) occurred simultaneously, or 1 day earlier, than that for IgM and IgA (mean 11 days for both). IgG could be detected as early as 4 days after the onset of illness. The earliest time at which these three antibodies reached peak levels was similar (mean 15 days). A high IgG level (1:800) could persist for > 3 months. The kinetics of neutralisation antibodies obtained with 100x the tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) of the SARS-CoV TW1 strain in five patients with SARS nearly paralleled those for IgG. There were no significant differences in the kinetics of the IgG, IgM and IgA responses between patients with or without underlying medical disease, steroid or intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, or mechanical ventilation.     

The expression of membrane protein augments the specific responses induced by SARS-CoV nucleocapsid DNA immunization

Nucleocapsid protein plays a critical role in SARS-CoV pathogenesis, and high-level anti-nucleocapsid antibodies are detected in the patients infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Several studies have shown that there exists an interaction between nucleocapsid (N) and membrane (M) protein. In this paper, we investigate whether the expression of membrane protein can affect the immune responses induced by nucleocapsid DNA immunization. Two recombinant plasmids containing M and N coding sequence were constructed. Moreover, in order to get the antigen for ELISA and in vitro stimulation assay, N protein were expressed and purified from E. coli bacteria. Injection of 20mug of the mixture of pVAX1-M and pVAX1-N into the Balb/c mice could elicit the humoral and cellular responses. The ELISA analysis using the N antigen or inactivated SARS-CoV particles as capture antigen showed that co-injection of SARS-M could enhance N-induced antibody production, especially IgG2a subclass. After lymphocytes were stimulated with 10mug/ml purified N antigen, The CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of N and M plus N group were increased compared with those of control groups, and the M protein could augment the activation of lymphocytes induced by N DNA vaccine. Cytokine ELISA analysis revealed that co-injection of M could enhance the levels of IFN-gamma, IL-2 release induced by N antigen. Further experiments in field mouse also support the claim that membrane protein can augment the N-specific immune responses. Virus challenge test was conducted in BSL3 bio safety laboratory with Brandt's vole SARS-CoV model, and the results indicated that co-immunization of M and N antigens could reduce the mortality and pathological changes in lung from the virus infection.     

Evaluation of antibody responses against SARS coronaviral nucleocapsid or spike proteins by immunoblotting or ELISA

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV is a newly emerging virus that causes SARS with high mortality rate in infected people. To study the humoral responses against SARS-CoV, we evaluated nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins-specific antibodies in patients' sera by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Recombinant N and S proteins of SARS-CoV were purified from transformed E. coli. Serum specimens from 40 SARS-CoV-infected patients in the convalescent phase were analyzed by Western blotting using the purified antigens. Serial serum specimens from 12 RT-PCR-confirmed SARS patients were assayed by ELISA using the recombinant N protein as coated antigen. By Western blotting, 97.5% of the SARS patients were positive for N protein-specific antibodies whereas only 47.5% of the samples were positive for S protein-specific antibodies. Using N protein-based ELISA, 10 out of the 12 patients were positive for N protein-specific antibodies and 6 of them showed seroconversion at mean of 16 days after onset of fever. Immunoblotting was useful for detecting the humoral immune response after SARS-CoV infection. Antibodies against SARS-CoV N protein appear at the early stage of infection, therefore, N protein-based ELISA could serve as a simple, sensitive, and specific test for diagnosing SARS-CoV infection.     

Comparison of the kinetics of puumala virus specific IgM and IgG antibody responses in nephropathia epidemica as measured by a recombinant antigen-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and an immunofluorescence test

Immunoglobulin M and G (IgM and IgG) responses were followed up to 6 months in patients with nephropathia epidemica (NE) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a recombinant Puumala virus (PUU) nucleocapsid protein as antigen and an immunofluorescence test (IF) using PUU infected, acetone-treated cells as antigen. The recombinant protein was produced by cloning and expressing the nucleocapsid encoding gene of PUU as a polyhistidine fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The product was purified over a metal chelating ion affinity column. On admission, all 17 patients had an IgM response by both methods. The IgM titers decreased significantly by both methods 3 months after onset (ELISA P<0.05 and IF P<0.05). Four of six still had detectable IgM, however at low levels, after 6 months. Presence of specific IgG differed significantly on admission between the two methods: by ELISA 8 of 17 had detectable specific IgG, whereas by IF 15 of 17 had specific IgG (P < 0.02). There were 10 significant titer rises between acute and convalescent serum samples in the same patients by both methods. It is concluded that the IgG antibody response differs in the early phase of NE as measured by a method using a recombinant PUU nucleocapsid protein and a method using PUU infected acetone-treated cells as antigens. Furthermore, the results suggest that it is of importance to rely on specific IgM for serodiagnosis of NE during the acute phase. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, inc.     

清远市无SARS病例地区人群SARS冠状病毒抗体血清流行病学调查

目的探讨清远市无SAILS病例地区人群SAILS冠状病毒（SARS-CoV）抗体水平。方法采集本地区各县区不同年龄、不同职业的人群血液，用酶联免疫法检测血清中SARS-CoV抗体IgG。结果共检测血清样本1484份，SAILS—CoV抗体IgG总阳性率为0．61％（9／1484），其中0—6岁和13—18岁年龄组SAILS．CoY抗体IgG均为阴性，7—12岁年龄组的阳性率为1．82％（8／439），19岁以上年龄组的阳性率为0．10％（1／1009）。在9份SAILS—CoV抗体IgG阳性的血清样本中，1份为饮食服务业从业人员，阳性率为0．39％（1／257）；其余8份为学生，阳性率为1．70％（8／471）。结论本地区人群SAILS-CoV抗体水平比较低，低龄组0—12岁人群SAILS-CoV抗体IgG阳性率高于高龄组13岁以上组人群的阳性率。提示SAILS-CoV可能存在隐性感染、隐性传播和隐性感染聚集性。     

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.     

Human serum antibody response inCampylobacter jejuni enteritis as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

An ELISA for detection of IgG, IgA, and IgM antibody using an acid-glycine extract from Campylobacter jejuni as antigen was developed. To determine the value of this assay for the diagnosis of acute Campylobacter jejuni infections, the IgG, IgA, and IgM immune response against Campylobacter jejuni was investigated at various timepoints after infection in patients with culture-proven infection. A total of 112 sera from 46 patients and 78 sera from a control group were tested. All but one of the 46 patients with culture-proven Campylobacter jejuni enteritis developed IgG antibodies against Campylobacter jejuni. IgA and IgM ELISA both showed 97% specificity, and sensitivity of 63% and 30% respectively. IgG antibody titers generally remained at a constant level for more than 50 days, whereas IgA and IgM antibody titers declined more rapidly to normal values within 30 to 50 days after onset of clinical symptoms. Detection of Campylobacter jejuni specific IgA antibodies in a single serum sample provided the most useful assay for serological diagnosis of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. The presence of Campylobacter jejuni specific IgM antibodies was the sole diagnostic criterion in three cases. Serological diagnosis of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis should therefore include both IgA and IgM antibody determination.