Performance evaluation of a non-invasive one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 direct from saliva

Jenkins, Harry H; Lopez, Ana A Tellechea; Tarantini, Francesco Saverio; Tomlin, Hannah; Scales, Danielle; Lee, I-Ning; Wu, Siyu; Hyde, Ralph; Lis-Slimak, Katarzyna; Byaruhanga, Timothy; Thompson, Jamie L; Pijuan-Galito, Sara; Doolan, Lara; Kaneko, Kazuyo; Gwynne, Penny; Reffin, Caroline; Park, Emily; Dey, Jayasree; Hill, Jack; Arendt-Tranholm, Asta; Stroud, Amy; Petrie, Moira; Denning, Chris; Benest, Andrew V; Seedhouse, Claire

Abstract

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has proven to be the gold-standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection in clinical settings. The most common approaches rely on nasopharyngeal specimens obtained from swabs, followed by RNA extraction, reverse transcription and quantitative PCR. Although swab-based PCR is sensitive, swabbing is invasive and unpleasant to administer, reducing patient compliance for regular testing and resulting in an increased risk of improper sampling. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a non-invasive one-step RT-qPCR assay performed directly on saliva specimens. The University of Nottingham Asymptomatic Testing Service protocol simplifies sample collection and bypasses the need for RNA extraction, or additives, thus helping to encourage more regular testing and reducing processing time and costs. We have evaluated the assay against the performance criteria specified by the UK regulatory bodies and attained accreditation (BS EN ISO/IEC 17,025:2017) for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. We observed a sensitivity of 1 viral copy per microlitre of saliva, and demonstrated a concordance of > 99.4% between our results and those of other accredited testing facilities. We concluded that saliva is a stable medium that allows for a highly precise, repeatable, and robust testing method.

Citation

Jenkins, H. H., Lopez, A. A. T., Tarantini, F. S., Tomlin, H., Scales, D., Lee, I.-N., Wu, S., Hyde, R., Lis-Slimak, K., Byaruhanga, T., Thompson, J. L., Pijuan-Galito, S., Doolan, L., Kaneko, K., Gwynne, P., Reffin, C., Park, E., Dey, J., Hill, J., Arendt-Tranholm, A., …Seedhouse, C. (2022). Performance evaluation of a non-invasive one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 direct from saliva. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 11553. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15616-6

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 27, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jul 7, 2022
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Nov 17, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 25, 2022
• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-2322
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 11553
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15616-6
• Keywords: Nasopharynx, Saliva, Humans, RNA, Viral, Specimen Handling, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Sensitivity and Specificity, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Testing
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10071740
• PMID: 35798820