Detection of Anti-Nucleocapsid Antibody in COVID-19 Patients in Bangladesh Is not Correlated with Previous Dengue Infection.

Simon D Lytton,Martha Herr,Md Rakibul Hassan Bulbul,Abul Khair Mohammad Shamsuzzaman,Mahmuda Yeasmin,Md Robed Amin,Alimul Islam,Helmut Duchmann,Tasnim Nafisa,Md Tanvir Rahman,Sumaiya Islam,Nur Hosen,Asish Kumar Ghosh,Md Mohiuddin Sharif,Md Maruf Ahmed Molla

doi:10.3390/pathogens10060637

Abstract

Background: The assessment of antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is potentially confounded by exposures to flaviviruses. The aims of the present research were to determine whether anti-dengue antibodies affect the viral load and the detection of anti-coronavirus nucleocapsid (N)-protein antibodies in coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Bangladesh. Methods: Viral RNA was evaluated in swab specimens from 115 COVID-19 patients by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rT-PCR). The anti-N-protein antibodies, anti-dengue virus E-protein antibodies and the dengue non-structural protein-1 were determined in serum from 115 COVID-19 patients, 30 acute dengue fever pre-COVID-19 pandemic and nine normal controls by ELISA. Results: The concentrations of viral RNA in the nasopharyngeal; Ct median (95% CI); 22 (21.9–23.3) was significantly higher than viral RNA concentrations in oropharyngeal swabs; and 29 (27–30.5) p < 0.0001. Viral RNA concentrations were not correlated with-dengue IgG levels. The anti-nucleocapsid antibodies were IgA 27% positive and IgG 35% positive at days 1 to 8 post-onset of COVID-19 symptoms versus IgA 0% and IgG 0% in dengue patients, p < 0.0001. The levels of anti- nucleocapsid IgA or IgG versus the levels of anti-dengue IgM or IgG revealed no significant correlations. Conclusions: Viral RNA and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies were detected in COVID-19 patients from dengue-endemic regions of Bangladesh, independently of the dengue IgG levels.

Highlights

Introduction distributed under the terms andThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first reported in December2019 in Wuhan, China
The demographic and clinical data (COVID-19 and dengue symptoms) of 154 enrolled patients was evaluated; 115 COVID-19, of which 48 were reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rT-PCR) confirmed positive and 67 were SARS-CoV-2 rT-PCR negative, 30 pre-pandemic hospitalized dengue fever and nine healthy adult controls who had no known exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and were without dengue infection during the 2020 post-pandemic period (Figure 1, Table 1)
SARS CoV-2 rT-PCR testing was performed on nasal or nasopharyngeal specimens taken from patients in the two COVID-19 cohorts with a median of two days after the onset of symptoms (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Introduction distributed under the terms andThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first reported in December2019 in Wuhan, China. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first reported in December. The aims of the present research were to determine whether anti-dengue antibodies affect the viral load and the detection of anticoronavirus nucleocapsid (N)-protein antibodies in coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: Viral RNA was evaluated in swab specimens from 115 COVID-19 patients by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rT-PCR). The anti-nucleocapsid antibodies were IgA 27% positive and IgG 35% positive at days 1 to 8 post-onset of COVID-19 symptoms versus IgA 0% and IgG 0% in dengue patients, p < 0.0001. Conclusions: Viral RNA and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies were detected in COVID-19 patients from dengue-endemic regions of Bangladesh, independently of the dengue

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