The potential application of digital PCR in detecting different SARS-CoV-2 viral loads

IF 2.2 4区医学 Q3 BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS

Journal of virological methods Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1016/j.jviromet.2025.115151

Chunyan Chang , Lingling Li , Yating Guo , Li Ji , Jinyue Tian , Shenglin Xu , Xiuhong Zhang , Xinyi Jiang , Weizhen Qiao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Rapid, effective, and accurate detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is crucial. It is essential to control the spread of the virus and ensure accurate treatment for the disease. In the study, a total of 170 clinical specimens from 164 patients were collected and analyzed through digital PCR (dPCR) and real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). The results showed an 86.41 % agreement between dPCR and RT-qPCR, with differences primarily noted in suspected cases. RT-qPCR exhibited a sensitivity of 84.78 %, specificity of 95.83 %, and accuracy of 86.42 %, which were comparatively lower than the 100 % accuracy of dPCR. Subsequently, we explored the potential correlation between these two methodologies based on Ct value groups. A strong negative correlation was observed between RT-qPCR and dPCR techniques in the Ct value group between 25 and 35, while the correlation was weakest in the Ct > 35 group. Moreover, the concordance rate for detecting the ORF1 (142/162) gene by RT-qPCR was lower compared to that of the N gene (149/162). Additionally, nucleic acid concentrations for ORF1 gene detection were lower than those for N gene detection in dPCR. In conclusion, this study shows that dPCR provides more reliable detection than RT-qPCR, especially for samples with low viral loads. Furthermore, dPCR effectively tracked changes in viral load during hospitalization, facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

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来源期刊

Journal of virological methods 医学-病毒学

CiteScore

5.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

209

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Virological Methods focuses on original, high quality research papers that describe novel and comprehensively tested methods which enhance human, animal, plant, bacterial or environmental virology and prions research and discovery. The methods may include, but not limited to, the study of: Viral components and morphology- Virus isolation, propagation and development of viral vectors- Viral pathogenesis, oncogenesis, vaccines and antivirals- Virus replication, host-pathogen interactions and responses- Virus transmission, prevention, control and treatment- Viral metagenomics and virome- Virus ecology, adaption and evolution- Applied virology such as nanotechnology- Viral diagnosis with novelty and comprehensive evaluation. We seek articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and laboratory protocols that include comprehensive technical details with statistical confirmations that provide validations against current best practice, international standards or quality assurance programs and which advance knowledge in virology leading to improved medical, veterinary or agricultural practices and management.