Detecting anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in urine samples: a noninvasive and sensitive way to assay COVID-19 immune conversion

Ludolf, Fernanda, Ramos, Fernanda F., Bagno, Flávia F., Oliveira-Da-Silva, João A., Reis, Thiago A.R., Christodoulides, Myron, Vassallo, Paula F., Ravetti, Cecilia G., Nobre, Vandack, da Fonseca, Flavio G. and Coelho, Eduardo A.F. (2022) Detecting anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in urine samples: a noninvasive and sensitive way to assay COVID-19 immune conversion. Science Advances, 8 (19), [eabn7424]. (doi:10.1126/sciadv.abn7424).

Abstract

Serum-based ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) has been widely used to detect anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies. However, to date, no study has investigated patient urine as a biological sample to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus-specific antibodies. An in-house urine-based ELISA was developed using recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in urine was established, with 94% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the detection of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with the urine-based ELISA and 88% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a paired serum-based ELISA. The urine-based ELISA that detects anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is a noninvasive method with potential application as a facile COVID-19 immunodiagnostic platform, which can be used to report the extent of exposure at the population level and/or to assess the risk of infection at the individual level.

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Contributors

Author: Myron Christodoulides

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