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Volume 27, Number 1—January 2021

Dispatch

Limited Specificity of Serologic Tests for SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Detection, Benin

Anges Yadouleton1, Anna-Lena Sander1, Andres Moreira-Soto1, Carine Tchibozo, Gildas Hounkanrin, Yvette Badou, Carlo Fischer, Nina Krause, Petas Akogbeto, Edmilson F. de Oliveira Filho, Anges Dossou, Sebastian Brünink, Melchior A. Joël Aïssi, Mamoudou Harouna Djingarey, Benjamin Hounkpatin, Michael Nagel2, and Jan Felix Drexler2Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: Université Nationale des Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques, Cotonou, Benin (A. Yadouleton); Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales du Benin, Cotonou (A. Yadouleton, C. Tchibozo, G. Hounkanrin, Y. Badou); Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany (A.-L. Sander, A. Moreira-Soto, C. Fischer, N. Krause, E.F. de Oliveira Filho, S. Brünink, J.F. Drexler); Ministry of Health, Cotonou (P. Akogbeto, A. Dossou, B. Hounkpatin); Conseil National de Lutte contre le VIH-Sida, la Tuberculose, le Paludisme, les IST et les Epidémies, Cotonou (M.A. Joël Aïssi); World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Health Emergencies Programme, Brazzaville, Congo (M.H. Djingarey); Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Bonn, Germany (M. Nagel); German Centre for Infection Research, associated partner Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany (J.F. Drexler)

Main Article

Figure 1

Serologic diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 and co-existing pathogens in Benin. A) SARS-CoV-2 ELISA reactivity by using different commercially available assays in prepandemic controls from 2019 and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-confirmed patients from 2020. Dashed lines denote the ratio thresholds of >1.1 (positive) and <0.9 (negative); results between these values are considered borderline, as defined by the manufacturers, EUROIMMUN (https://www.euroimmun.com) and InBios (https://inbios.com). Solid line denotes mean ELISA reactivity. B) SARS-CoV-2 PRNT50 in prepandemic controls from 2019 and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR–confirmed patients from 2020, shown in log10 scale for clarity. Solid line denotes mean PRNT log10 titer. C) Percentage of prepandemic controls with Plasmodium parasitemia who were SARS-CoV-2 ELISA–positive versus those who were SARS-CoV-2 ELISA-negative, shown in log10 scale for clarity. Solid line denotes the mean copies/mL. Asterisk denotes p<0.05. D) ZIKV ELISA IgG ELISA percent seropositivity and ZIKV ELISA reactivity within SARS-CoV-2–positive and SARS-CoV-2–negative prepandemic controls. Continuous line denotes the mean ELISA reactivity. Asterisk denotes p<0.05. E) ZIKV PRNT50 results. Continuous line denotes the mean PRNT50 log10 reactivity. NS, not statistically significant; PRNT50, 50% plaque reduction neutralization test; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; ZIKV, Zika virus.

Figure 1. Serologic diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 and co-existing pathogens in Benin. A) SARS-CoV-2 ELISA reactivity by using different commercially available assays in prepandemic controls from 2019 and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-confirmed patients from 2020. Dashed lines denote the ratio thresholds of >1.1 (positive) and <0.9 (negative); results between these values are considered borderline, as defined by the manufacturers, EUROIMMUN (https://www.euroimmun.com) and InBios (https://inbios.com). Solid line denotes mean ELISA reactivity. B) SARS-CoV-2 PRNT50 in prepandemic controls from 2019 and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR–confirmed patients from 2020, shown in log10 scale for clarity. Solid line denotes mean PRNT log10 titer. C) Percentage of prepandemic controls with Plasmodium parasitemia who were SARS-CoV-2 ELISA–positive versus those who were SARS-CoV-2 ELISA-negative, shown in log10 scale for clarity. Solid line denotes the mean copies/mL. Asterisk denotes p<0.05. D) ZIKV ELISA IgG ELISA percent seropositivity and ZIKV ELISA reactivity within SARS-CoV-2–positive and SARS-CoV-2–negative prepandemic controls. Continuous line denotes the mean ELISA reactivity. Asterisk denotes p<0.05. E) ZIKV PRNT50 results. Continuous line denotes the mean PRNT50 log10 reactivity. NS, not statistically significant; PRNT50, 50% plaque reduction neutralization test; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; ZIKV, Zika virus.

Main Article

1These first authors contributed equally to this article.

2These senior authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: November 02, 2020
Page updated: December 21, 2020
Page reviewed: December 21, 2020
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