Detection of virus-specific polymeric immunoglobulin A in acute hepatitis A, C, E virus serum samples using novel chimeric secretory component

• DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3799-2
• Publication Date: 2018-10-01T12:46:19Z
• Authors: Khayriyyah Mohd H...; Mary L. Garcia; Nadine C. Barnes; David A. Anderson
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Science (General); QH301-705.5; Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor; 610; Proof of Concept Study; Q1-390; 03 medical and health sciences; Humans; Serologic Tests; Hepatitis Antibodies; Biology (General); Polymeric immunoglobulin A; Serodiagnostics; R; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis E; Immunoglobulin A; 3. Good health; Research Note; Secretory component; Medicine; Hepatitis A virus; Biomarkers

To conduct a proof-of-concept study on preferential binding of polymeric IgA (pIgA) using a novel recombinant rabbit/human chimeric secretory component (cSC) and preliminary assessment of the diagnostic potential of virus-specific pIgA in discriminating acute hepatitis A, E, and C (HAV, HEV, HCV) patients and uninfected controls using an indirect enzyme-linked immunoassay.cSC binds > 0.06 μg/ml of purified human and mouse pIgA with negligible cross-reactivity against IgM and IgA. Virus-specific pIgA was significantly higher in serum of acute HAV (n = 6) and HEV (n = 12) patients than uninfected samples (HEV: p < 0.001; HAV: p = 0.001), and had low correlation with virus-specific IgM (HEV r: - 0.25, 95% CI - 0.88 to 0.71, p = 0.636; HAV r: 0.05, 95% CI - 0.54 to 0.60, p: 0.885). Anti-HCV pIgA peaked early in HCV seroconversion panels (n = 14), and was undetectable after 4 weeks post-primary bleed, even in ongoing infections, while serum anti-HCV IgA, IgG and IgM persisted. Patients with early acute HCV infection had significantly higher levels of anti-HCV pIgA compared to those with chronic infections (p < 0.01). The use of novel cSC demonstrates the presence of virus-specific pIgA in sera of patients with acute HAV, HEV, and HCV infection, and posits its potential utility as a diagnostic biomarker that warrants further validation on larger sample populations.