Multicenter evaluation of the Panbio™ COVID-19 rapid antigen-detection test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection

ObjectivesThe standard RT-PCR assay for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is laborious and time-consuming, limiting testing availability. Rapid antigen-detection tests are faster and less expensive; however, the reliability of these tests must be validated before they can be used widely. The objective of this study was to determine the performance of the Panbio? COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (PanbioRT) (Abbott) in detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in nasopharyngeal swab specimens.MethodsThis prospective multicentre study was carried out in ten Spanish university hospitals and included individuals with clinical symptoms or epidemiological criteria of COVID-19. Only individuals with ≤7 days from the onset of symptoms or from exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19 were included. Two nasopharyngeal samples were taken to perform the PanbioRT as a point-of-care test and a diagnostic RT-PCR test.ResultsAmong the 958 patients studied, 325 (90.5%) had true-positive results. The overall sensitivity and specificity for the PanbioRT were 90.5% (95%CI 87.5–93.6) and 98.8% (95%CI 98–99.7), respectively. Sensitivity in participants who had a threshold cycle (C_T) < 25 for the RT-PCR test was 99.5% (95%CI 98.4–100), and in participants with ≤5 days of the clinical course it was 91.8% (95%CI 88.8–94.8). Agreement between techniques was 95.7% (κ score 0.90; 95%CI 0.88–0.93).ConclusionsThe PanbioRT performs well clinically, with even more reliable results for patients with a shorter clinical course of the disease or a higher viral load. The results must be interpreted based on the local epidemiological context.     

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。     

SARS病毒S蛋白编码基因表达载体的构建及在Vero细胞中的表达

目的构建含SARS病毒S蛋白编码基因片段的表达载体,并将其置于Vero细胞中表达。方法设计1对PCR引物,在其下游引入Flag序列,通过PCR方法从质粒pGEX-6P-1-SARS-S中扩增出S蛋白编码基因,PCR产物经酶切后,插入表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)中,构建重组表达质粒pcDNA3.1(+)-SARS-S。重组质粒经酶切鉴定及核苷酸序列测定和分析后转染Vero细胞,用抗Flag单克隆抗体通过Western blot检测S蛋白片段在Vero细胞中的表达。结果酶切鉴定及核苷酸序列测定和分析示重组质粒构建完全正确;Western blot证实重组S蛋白片段能够在Vero细胞表达。结论融合Flag序列的SARS病毒S蛋白片段在Vero细胞中获得了正确表达。     

抗SARS-CoV病毒N蛋白的单链抗体(scFv)筛选

目的筛选出抗SARS-CoV病毒N蛋白的单链抗体。方法利用原核表达所获得的SARS病毒N蛋白,筛选人源单链抗体噬菌体展示库,经特异性的检测,以期得到抗SARS-CoV病毒N蛋白的特异单链抗体。结果获得了8个抗SARS病毒N蛋白的候选克隆。经测序,获得了编码抗体可变区的基因序列,并进行了原核表达。结论筛选得到的抗SARS-CoV病毒N蛋白单链抗体具有高度的特异性,可以用作临床实验或研究SARS病毒过程中快速检测SARSN蛋白或SARS病毒粒子的候选抗体。     

SARS冠状病毒N蛋白的原核表达及活性测定

目的克隆编码严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒（sARSCoV）N蛋白的DNA,构建原核表达质粒pGEX-2T／N,并诱导表达。方法采用RT-PCR方法从病毒培养液中获得N基因片段。将N蛋白基因序列定向插入原核表达载体pGEX-2T中,在大肠杆菌中表达融合蛋白。用表达产物与抗SARS-CoV抗体阳性血清做Western blot。结果获得N基因片段;GST-N融合蛋白以可溶形式表达;Western blot检测表明,其与抗SARS-CoV抗体阳性血清的反应呈阳性。结论成功地构建原核表达质粒pGEX-2T／N,并表达GST-N融合蛋白,为下一步的研究奠定了基础。     

SARS冠状病毒S蛋白受体结合域的克隆测序

目的 从来源于人和果子狸的SARS冠状病毒S蛋白基因中,获得受体结合域(RBD)基因的克隆.方法 用PCR方法扩增RBD基因,将其克隆到pGEM-T Easy载体,转化后挑取阳性克隆进行酶切和测序鉴定,并分析RBD基因序列.结果 获得了人和果子狸来源的RBD的基因片段,长度为579 bp,两者具有高度的同源性.结果 RBD是SARS冠状病毒与靶细胞结合的部位,本工作成功克隆了SARS冠状病毒的RBD基因,为该基因的表达和功能研究奠定了基础.     

¿Es esperable que haya cuadros neurológicos por la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2?

IntroductionThere is growing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can gain access to the central nervous system (CNS). We revise the literature on coronavirus infection of the CNS associated with neurological diseases.DevelopmentNeurological symptoms were rarely reported in the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV epidemics, although isolated cases were described. There are also reports of cases of neurological symptoms associated with CoV-OC43 and CoV-229E infection. The presence of neurological lesions, especially demyelinating lesions in the mouse hepatitis virus model, may explain the mechanisms by which coronaviruses enter the CNS, particularly those related with the immune response. This may explain the presence of coronavirus in patients with multiple sclerosis. We review the specific characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and address the question of whether the high number of cases may be associated with greater CNS involvement.ConclusionAlthough neurological symptoms are not frequent in coronavirus epidemics, the high number of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection may explain the presence of the virus in the CNS and increase the likelihood of early- or delayed-onset neurological symptoms. Follow-up of patients affected by the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic should include careful assessment of the CNS.     

Management of patients with ovarian cancer in the COVID-19 era

At the beginning of 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads worldwide. Patients with ovarian cancer should be considered at high-risk of developing severe morbidity related to COVID-19. Most of them are diagnosed in advanced stages of disease, and they are fragile. Here, we evaluated the major impact of COVID-19 on patients with ovarian cancer, discussing the effect of the outbreak on medical and surgical treatment.     

Multiple Introductions Followed by Ongoing Community Spread of SARS-CoV-2 at One of the Largest Metropolitan Areas of Northeast Brazil

Multiple epicenters of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have emerged since the first pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, such as Italy, USA, and Brazil. Brazil is the third-most affected country worldwide, but genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 strains are mostly restricted to states from the Southeast region. Pernambuco state, located in the Northeast region, is the sixth most affected Brazilian state, but very few genomic sequences from the strains circulating in this region are available. We sequenced 101 strains of SARS-CoV-2 from patients presenting Covid-19 symptoms that reside in Pernambuco. Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed that all genomes belong to the B lineage and most of the samples (88%) were classified as lineage B.1.1. We detected multiple viral introductions from abroad (likely from Europe) as well as six local B.1.1 clades composed by Pernambuco only strains. Local clades comprise sequences from the capital city (Recife) and other country-side cities, corroborating the community spread between different municipalities of the state. These findings demonstrate that different from Southeastern Brazilian states where the epidemics were majorly driven by one dominant lineage (B.1.1.28 or B.1.1.33), the early epidemic phase at the Pernambuco state was driven by multiple B.1.1 lineages seeded through both national and international traveling.     

珠海市动物从业人员SARS—CoV抗体血清流行病学研究

目的通过对动物从业人员以及其它健康人群感染SARS-CoV的血清学研究,揭示人群中SARS-CoV抗体水平,探讨动物作为传染源的传播途径.方法随机选取无SARS临床症状的健康动物从业人员以及其它健康人员等545人作为调查对象,使用统一调查表对调查对象进行个案调查,同时采集调查对象的血清,用ELISA法检测SARS-CoV抗体.结果共检测各种人群血样545份,其中动物从业人员血样269份,SARS-CoV抗体阳性率为8.18%;健康人群血样276份,阳性率为1.09%,动物从业人员SARS-CoV抗体阳性率和非从业人员SARS-CoV抗体阳性率比较有显著性差异.结论动物从业人员SARS-CoV抗体阳性率显著高于非从业人员,支持SARS-CoV源于野生动物的假设.