A comprehensive antigen production and characterization study for easy-to-implement, highly specific and quantitative SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays

Klausberger, M.; Duerkop, M.; Haslacher, H.; Wozniak-Knopp, G.; Cserjan-Puschmann, M.; Perkmann, T.; Lingg, N.; Aguilar, P. P.; Laurent, E.; De Vos, J.; Hofer, M.; Holzer, B.; Stadler, M.; Manhart, G.; Vierlinger, K.; Egger, M.; Milchram, L.; Gludovacz, E.; Marx, N.; Koeppl, C.; Tauer, C.; Beck, J.; Maresch, D.; Gruenwald-Gruber, C.; Strobl, F.; Satzer, P.; Stadlmayr, G.; Vavra, U.; Huber, J.; Wahrmann, M.; Eskandary, F.; Breyer, M.-K.; Sieghart, D.; Quehenberger, P.; Leitner, G.; Strassl, R.; Egger, A. E.; Irsara, C.; Griesmacher, A.; Hoermann, G.; Weiss, G.; Bellmann-Weiler, R.; Loeffler-Rag,

Antibody tests are essential tools to investigate humoral immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection. While first-generation antibody tests have primarily provided qualitative results with low specificity, accurate seroprevalence studies and tracking of antibody levels over time require highly specific, sensitive and quantitative test setups. Here, we describe two quantitative ELISA antibody tests based on the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain and the nucleocapsid protein. Comparative expression in bacterial, insect, mammalian and plant-based platforms enabled the identification of new antigen designs with superior quality and high suitability as diagnostic reagents. Both tests scored excellently in clinical validations with multi-centric specificity and sensitivity cohorts and showed unprecedented correlation with SARS-CoV-2 neutralization titers. Orthogonal testing increased assay specificity to 99.8%, thereby enabling robust serodiagnosis in low-prevalence settings. The inclusion of a calibrator permits accurate quantitative monitoring of antibody concentrations in samples collected at different time points during the acute and convalescent phase of COVID-19.