• The new “SARS-CoV-2 Cyto-LTT” laboratory analysis service aims to detect the presence of specific T-cells against viral antigen in peripheral blood.
• The analysis provides functional information of exposure and T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2.
•  In combination with SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, the SARS-CoV-2 Cyto-LTT will aid clinical laboratories to serve Covid-19 individuals with immunodeficiencies.
• The test will also provide fundamental cellular immunity information to those performing clinical trials and studies for vaccines and treatments against Covid-19.

 

Conflicting data on longevity of antibodies against the 2019 novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) still leave many wondering if they have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 1,2. ADR-AC GmbH aims to answer that uncertainty with the SARS-CoV-2 memory T-cell analysis service for clinical laboratories to offer a complete T-cell analysis against SARS-CoV-2.

In contrast to antibodies, T-cell immunity tends to persist and protect for years 3. To offer a “memory T-cell” analysis service and thus complete the immunological analysis against SARS-CoV-2 infections, ADR-AC has developed a highly sensitive (80%+) and specific (90%+) T-cell immunoassay.

Dr. Daniel Yerly, ADR-AC Head of Laboratory, stated, “There is a need to define a complete immunological profile of a lasting response against the 2019 novel coronavirus infection beyond antibody levels. Our memory T-cell analysis service complements available SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests to determine exposure and immune responses against SARS-CoV-2. This will be important moving ahead, especially when Covid-19 vaccines become available for mass administration, to monitor healthcare strategies in fighting the current pandemic.”

Recommended ordering of this test is for immunodeficient individuals such as those receiving immunosuppressants for autoimmunity and blood cancers (e.g. leukaemia and lymphomas), and organ transplantation, or patients with previous history of insufficient responses against viral infections or immunizations. This test is also particularly informative for clinical studies of immunity in Covid-19 patients with different disease severities and potentially in those with persistent Covid-19 symptoms (“long Covid”).

About the SARS-CoV-2 Cyto-LTT

ADR-AC´s SARS-CoV-2 cytokine lymphocyte transformation test (SARS-CoV-2 Cyto-LTT) is an immunoassay adapted from the company´s long-established and widely-used Cyto-LTT immunoassay for delayed-type drug hypersensitivity evaluation.

The development of this new test accounted for factors from both patients and viral antigens. This enables 80% coverage of the HLA superfamilies in Caucasian populations and the 3 components of the SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins (spike, membrane and nucleocapsid). Combining flow cytometry and cytokines bead-based immunoassays, both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell activation and responses are measured to cover cellular adaptive immunity responses.

 

The analysis service will be available starting from January 2021 by prior appointment.

 

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Daniel Yerly • ADR-AC GmbH • Holligenstrasse 91 • CH-3008 Bern +41 (0)31 971 86 40 • [email protected]

Order forms can be found on ADR-AC´s website. https://www.adr-ac.ch/sars-cov-2-cyto-ltt/

 

 

References:

1 Röltigen et al. (2020). Defining the features and duration of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with disease severity and outcome. Sci. Immunol. 5(54): eabe0240.

2 Isho et al. (2020). Persistence of serum and saliva antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike antigens in COVID-19 patients. Sci. Immunol. 5(52): eabe5511.

3 Farber et al. (2014). Human memory T cells: generation, compartmentalization and homeostasis. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 14(1): 24-35