Urinary immunoglobulins in viral diagnosis: An overview

Abstract

Antibody detection by serological methods gained a lot of interest in recent years and has become the backbone of virological diagnosis. Despite the detection of all five classes of immunoglobulins in urine, not much attention has been paid to the use of urine as a diagnostic sample to detect viral antibodies. Unlike venipuncture, this non-invasive mode of sample collection can help cover all age groups, especially paediatric and old age patients, where blood collection is difficult. Using urine as a sample is also economical and involves lesser risk in sample collection. The antibodies are found to be stable in urine at room temperature for a prolonged period, which makes the sample transport management easier as well. A few recent studies, have also shown that the detection limit of antibodies in urine is at par with serum or other clinical material. So, the ease in sample collection, availability of samples in large quantity and stability of immunoglobulins in urine for prolonged periods can make urine an ideal sample for viral diagnosis.

Stability, enrichment, and quantification of total and HPV16-specific IgG present in first-void urine

“…However, the impact of such buffers on the stability and integrity of IgG in FVU, has not been explored. Furthermore, while studies have demonstrated urinary IgG stability under various conditions for specific viral pathogens 16 , 17 , a knowledge gap exists regarding the stability of (HPV-specific) IgG in FVU.…”

“…However, the impact of such buffers on the stability and integrity of IgG in FVU, has not been explored. Furthermore, while studies have demonstrated urinary IgG stability under various conditions for specific viral pathogens 16,17 , a knowledge gap exists regarding the stability of (HPV-specific) IgG in FVU.Earlier studies showed that FVU contains limited quantities of IgG, approximately 0.5% of total IgG and 0.07% of HPV-specific IgG compared to serum levels 18 . While these studies have demonstrated good correlations between serum and FVU HPV-specific antibodies, FVU samples still exhibit lower antibody positivity…”

The Implementation of HIV Self-Testing in Resource-Limited Settings Where the HIV Disease Burden is High

“…Recently, as a novel approach, the effectiveness of anonymous vending machine-based urine self-collection for HIV testing programs was assessed among college students across China and was shown to be a powerful tool to promote HIV testing [ 34 ]. The US Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) licensed an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of HIV-1 antibodies in urine in 2019 [ 35 ] and advocates for urine in the screening of high-risk populations as the reports show that screening urine could serve as an improved alternative to oral specimens [ 36 ]. Akin to oral fluid-based HIV-ST, urine can also be disposed of safely after use.…”