Development of a Sensitive Immunochromatographic Method Using Lanthanide Fluorescent Microsphere for Rapid Serodiagnosis of COVID-19

ACS Sens. 2020 Aug 28;5(8):2331-2337. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.0c00927. Epub 2020 Jul 22.

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 infection that caused the COVID-19 pandemic quickly spread worldwide within two months. Rapid diagnosis of the disease and isolation of patients are effective ways to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, a sensitive immunofluorescent assay method was developed for rapid detection of special IgM and IgG of COVID-19 in human serum within 10 min. The recombinant nucleocapsid protein of 2019 novel coronavirus was used as capture antigen. Lanthanide, Eu(III) fluorescent microsphere, was used to qualitatively/semiquantitatively determine the solid phase immunochromatographic assay. A total of 28 clinical positive and 77 negative serum or plasma samples were included in the test. Based on the analysis of serum or plasma from COVID-19 patients and healthy people, the sensitivity and specificity of the immunochromatographic assay were calculated as 98.72% and 100% (IgG), and 98.68% and 93.10% (IgM), respectively. The results demonstrated that rapid immunoassay has high sensitivity and specificity and was useful for rapid serodiagnosis of COVID-19.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; fluorescent microsphere; immunochromatographic; nucleocapsid protein; serodiagnosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Europium
  • Fluorescence
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods*
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Lanthanoid Series Elements
  • Microspheres*
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins / immunology
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serologic Tests / methods*
  • Serologic Tests / standards
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Lanthanoid Series Elements
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins
  • Europium