Specificity of NS1-based immunochromatographic tests for dengue virus with regard to the Zika virus protein

Author(s)

Andreata-Santos, Robert ^[1] ; Pereira, Samuel Santos ^{[1, 2]} ; Pereira, Lennon Ramos ^{[1, 2]} ; Felix, Alvina Clara ^[3] ; Romano, Camila Malta ^{[3, 4]} ; de Souza Ferreira, Luis Carlos ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Microbiol, Vaccine Dev Lab, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Romano, Camila Malta, Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Hosp Clin HCFMUSP LIM52, Sao Paulo, Brazil.Andreata-Santos, Robert, Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Microbiol, Vaccine Dev Lab, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Hosp Clin HCFMUSP LIM52, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES; v. 95, p. 276-278, JUN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

Objectives: This study was performed to determine whether Dengue virus (DENV) immunochromatographic tests can detect and differentiate nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) from each of the four DENV serotypes and do not cross-react with the Zika virus (ZIKV) NS1 protein. Methods: We compared the specificity of six NS1-based DENV immunochromatographic tests (point of care) in the detection of NS1 proteins from each of the four DENV serotypes and ZIKV. The tests were performed with NS1 proteins produced in mammalian cells. Cross-reactivity was confirmed with a purified recombinant ZIKV NS1 protein and DENV+ or ZIKV(+) human serum samples. Results: Cross-reaction was observed in 2 out of the 6 evaluated tests using cell culture supernatants containing NS1 protein of each tested virus. Cross-reactivity with ZIKV was confirmed with purified recombinant ZIKV NS1 produced in Escherichia coli. Further analyses with serum samples collected from DENV+ or ZIKV(+) patients confirmed the cross-reactivity with ZIKV protein in 2 tests. Conclusions: The detection of the NS1 protein is the basis for several commercially available serological DENV diagnostic tests. The present results emphasize the relevance of testing specificity of presently available NS1-based DENV serological tests and the need of adjustments of tests that cross-react with the ZIKV protein. Our results are particularly relevant for regions where both viruses are endemically found, as in the case of Brazil. (c) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/20045-7 - Antigen discovery and development of serological diagnostic methods and vaccine approaches against the Zika Virus (ZIKV)
• Grantee: Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/23560-0 - Development of uniplex and multiplex diagnostic platforms for arbovirus infection using recombinant proteins
• Grantee: Robert Andreata Santos
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate