A global collaborative comparison of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity across 15 laboratories

World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland.
University of Cambridge. Centre for Pathogen Evolution. Cambridge, UK.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin. Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Institute of Virology. Berlin, Germany / Associated Partner Site Charité. German Centre for Infection Research. Berlin, Germany.
World Health Organization. Spiez Laboratory. WHO BioHub Facility. Spiez, Switzerland.
World Health Organization. Spiez Laboratory. WHO BioHub Facility. Spiez, Switzerland.
World Health Organization. Spiez Laboratory. WHO BioHub Facility. Spiez, Switzerland.
World Health Organization. Spiez Laboratory. WHO BioHub Facility. Spiez, Switzerland.
World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. London, UK.
University of Geneva. Department of Medicine. Geneva, Switzerland / Geneva University Hospitals. Division of Infectious Diseases. Geneva, Switzerland / University of Geneva. University Hospitals of Geneva. Geneva Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases. Geneva, Switzerland.
University of Geneva. Department of Medicine. Geneva, Switzerland / University of Geneva. University Hospitals of Geneva. Geneva Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases. Geneva, Switzerland.
Medical University of Innsbruck. Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Virology. Institute of Virology. Innsbruck, Austria.
Medical University of Innsbruck. Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Virology. Institute of Virology. Innsbruck, Austria.
Tyrolpath Obrist Brunhuber GmbH. Zams, Austria.
Medical University of Innsbruck. Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Virology. Institute of Virology. Innsbruck, Austria.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios, Exantemáticos, Enterovírus e Emergências Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidad de la República. Centro Universitario Regional Litoral Norte. Department of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Molecular Virology. Salto, Uruguay.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios, Exantemáticos, Enterovírus e Emergências Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios, Exantemáticos, Enterovírus e Emergências Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios, Exantemáticos, Enterovírus e Emergências Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios, Exantemáticos, Enterovírus e Emergências Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Robert Koch Institut. Unit 17 "Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses". Berlin, Germany.
Robert Koch Institut. Unit 17 "Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses". Berlin, Germany.
Robert Koch Institut. Unit 17 "Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses". Berlin, Germany.
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. Purelab. Reference Laboratory for Infectious Diseases. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. Purelab. Reference Laboratory for Infectious Diseases. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
University of the Witwatersrand. School of Pathology. South African Medical Research Council. Antibody Immunity Research Unit. Johannesburg, South Africa / National Health Laboratory Services. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand. School of Pathology. South African Medical Research Council. Antibody Immunity Research Unit. Johannesburg, South Africa / National Health Laboratory Services. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand. School of Pathology. South African Medical Research Council. Antibody Immunity Research Unit. Johannesburg, South Africa / National Health Laboratory Services. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand. School of Pathology. South African Medical Research Council. Antibody Immunity Research Unit. Johannesburg, South Africa / National Health Laboratory Services. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand. School of Pathology. South African Medical Research Council. Antibody Immunity Research Unit. Johannesburg, South Africa / National Health Laboratory Services. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand. School of Pathology. South African Medical Research Council. Antibody Immunity Research Unit. Johannesburg, South Africa / National Health Laboratory Services. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Johannesburg, South Africa / Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa. Durban, South Africa.
The University of Hong Kong. Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. School of Public Health. Hong Kong SAR, China.
The University of Hong Kong. Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. School of Public Health. Hong Kong SAR, China.
The University of Hong Kong. Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. School of Public Health. Hong Kong SAR, China.
The University of Hong Kong. Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. School of Public Health. Hong Kong SAR, China.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin. Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Institute of Virology. Berlin, Germany / Associated Partner Site Charité. German Centre for Infection Research. Berlin, Germany.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin. Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Institute of Virology. Berlin, Germany / Associated Partner Site Charité. German Centre for Infection Research. Berlin, Germany.
Emory University School of Medicine. Emory Vaccine Center. Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines. Department of Pediatrics. Atlanta, GA, USA.
Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Bangkok, Thailand.
Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Bangkok, Thailand.
Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Bangkok, Thailand.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Faculty of Medicine. The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research. Jerusalem, Israel / Africa Health Research Institute. Durban, South Africa.
Africa Health Research Institute. Durban, South Africa.
University of Bern. Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases. Bern, Switzerland / Mittelhäusern and Bern. Institute of Virology and Immunology. Bern, Switzerland.
University of Bern. Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases. Bern, Switzerland / Mittelhäusern and Bern. Institute of Virology and Immunology. Bern, Switzerland.
University of Bern. Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases. Bern, Switzerland / Mittelhäusern and Bern. Institute of Virology and Immunology. Bern, Switzerland.
Erasmus Medical Centre. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
University of Ghana Medical Centre. Medical and Scientific Research Centre. Accra, Ghana.
University of Ghana Medical Centre. Medical and Scientific Research Centre. Accra, Ghana / University of Ghana. Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Legon, Ghana.
University of Ghana. Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Legon, Ghana.
World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland.
World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland.
Erasmus Medical Centre. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Emory University School of Medicine. Emory Vaccine Center. Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines. Department of Pediatrics. Atlanta, GA, USA.
University of Cambridge. Centre for Pathogen Evolution. Cambridge, UK.
World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland.

Abstract

Setting up a global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system requires an understanding of how virus isolation and propagation practices, use of animal or human sera, and different neutralisation assay platforms influence assessment of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity. In this study, with the contribution of 15 independent laboratories across all WHO regions, we carried out a controlled analysis of neutralisation assay platforms using the first WHO International Standard for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (source: NIBSC). Live virus isolates (source: WHO BioHub or individual labs) or spike plasmids (individual labs) for pseudovirus production were used to perform neutralisation assays using the same serum panels. When comparing fold drops, excellent data consistency was observed across the labs using common reagents, including between pseudovirus and live virus neutralisation assays (RMSD of data from mean fold drop was 0.59). Utilising a Bayesian model, geometric mean titres and assay titre magnitudes (offsets) can describe the data efficiently. Titre magnitudes were seen to vary largely even for labs within the same assay group. We have observed that overall, live Microneutralisation assays tend to have the lowest titres, whereas Pseudovirus Neutralisation have the highest (with a mean difference of 3.2 log2 units between the two). These findings are relevant for laboratory networks, such as the WHO Coronavirus Laboratory Network (CoViNet), that seek to support a global surveillance system for evolution and antigenic characterisation of variants to support monitoring of population immunity and vaccine composition policy.

Keywords

Neutralisation
Antigenicity
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Bayesian model
Global surveillance

Publisher

MDPI

Citation

BRANGEL, Polina et al. A global collaborative comparison of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity across 15 laboratories. Viruses, v. 16, n. 12, p. 1-30, 18 Dec. 2024.

DOI

10.3390/v16121936

ISSN

1999-4915

Notes

Produção científica do Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios, Exantemáticos, Enterovírus e Emergências Virais.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.arca.fiocruz.br/handle/icict/68089

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Open access

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