Comparison of the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay with the EDI(TM) enzyme linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human plasma

Egger, Margot; Bundschuh, Christian; Wiesinger, Kurt; Gabriel, Christian; Clodi, Martin; Mueller, Thomas; Dieplinger, Benjamin

BACKGROUND: Here, we report on a head-to-head comparison of the fully-automated Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay with the EDI(TM) enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human plasma. METHODS: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured with the Elecsys® assay and the EDI(TM) ELISAs (IgM and IgG) in 64 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 patients with serial blood samples (n=104) collected at different time points from symptom onset. Blood samples from 200 healthy blood donors and 256 intensive care unit (ICU) patients collected before the COVID-19 outbreak were also used. RESULTS: In COVID-19 patients, the percentage of positive results rose with time from symptom onset, peaking to positivity rates after 15-22 days of 100% for the Elecsys® assay, of 94% for the EDI(TM) IgM-ELISA and of 100% for the EDI(TM) IgG ELISA. In the 104 blood samples, the agreement between positive/negative classifications of the Elecsys® assay and the EDI(TM) ELISAs (IgM or IgG) was 90%. The false positivity rates in the healthy blood donors and the ICU patients were <1% for the Elecsys® assay and <3% for the EDI(TM) ELISAs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a high sensitivity and specificity for the Elecsys® assay and an acceptable agreement with the EDI(TM) ELISAs.