title: Detection of specific antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nucleocapsid protein for serodiagnosis of SARS coronavirus pneumonia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Beatrice H L
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Hoi-wah
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tsoi
authors.forename: Ami M Y
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Kwok-hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Victoria K P
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: J S Malik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peiris
authors.forename: Kwok-yung
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins