Herein, we report a case of an Italian male infected by Delta sublineage AY.4 harboring an atypical deletion, leading to a N gene target failure (NGTF) by a commercial molecular assay for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay, Seegene). A 59-year-old unvaccinated patient was hospitalized for pulmonary embolism, with first negative results obtained by both molecular and antigen tests. After several days of viral negativity, he presented positive results for E and RdRP/S genes, but negative in N gene. Negativity in N gene was repeatedly confirmed in the following days. Suspecting an infection by the Omicron variant, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing was rapidly performed from nasopharyngeal swab by MiSeq and revealed the presence of the Delta sublineage AY.4 variant with an atypical deletion of six nucleotides, leading to G214-G215 deletion in the Nucleocapsid, thus responsible for NGTF. The analysis of GISAID sequences (N = 2,618,373 12 January 2022) showed that G214-G215 deletion is rarely occurring in most circulating Delta lineages and sublineages in the globe and Europe, with an overall prevalence never exceeding 0.2%. Hence, this study highlights the importance to perform SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and to characterize novel mutations/deletions that could jeopardize the proper interpretation of molecular diagnostic tests. Based on these assumptions, the role of deletions in the recently identified Omicron variant deserves further investigation.

Alkhatib, M., Bellocchi, M.c., Marchegiani, G., Grelli, S., Micheli, V., Stella, D., et al. (2022). First Case of a COVID-19 Patient Infected by Delta AY.4 with a Rare Deletion Leading to a N Gene Target Failure by a Specific Real Time PCR Assay: Novel Omicron VOC Might Be Doing Similar Scenario?. MICROORGANISMS, 10(2), 268 [10.3390/microorganisms10020268].

First Case of a COVID-19 Patient Infected by Delta AY.4 with a Rare Deletion Leading to a N Gene Target Failure by a Specific Real Time PCR Assay: Novel Omicron VOC Might Be Doing Similar Scenario?

Bellocchi, Maria Concetta;Grelli, Sandro;Svicher, Valentina;Rogliani, Paola;Ceccherini-Silberstein, Francesca
2022-01-25

Abstract

Herein, we report a case of an Italian male infected by Delta sublineage AY.4 harboring an atypical deletion, leading to a N gene target failure (NGTF) by a commercial molecular assay for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay, Seegene). A 59-year-old unvaccinated patient was hospitalized for pulmonary embolism, with first negative results obtained by both molecular and antigen tests. After several days of viral negativity, he presented positive results for E and RdRP/S genes, but negative in N gene. Negativity in N gene was repeatedly confirmed in the following days. Suspecting an infection by the Omicron variant, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing was rapidly performed from nasopharyngeal swab by MiSeq and revealed the presence of the Delta sublineage AY.4 variant with an atypical deletion of six nucleotides, leading to G214-G215 deletion in the Nucleocapsid, thus responsible for NGTF. The analysis of GISAID sequences (N = 2,618,373 12 January 2022) showed that G214-G215 deletion is rarely occurring in most circulating Delta lineages and sublineages in the globe and Europe, with an overall prevalence never exceeding 0.2%. Hence, this study highlights the importance to perform SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and to characterize novel mutations/deletions that could jeopardize the proper interpretation of molecular diagnostic tests. Based on these assumptions, the role of deletions in the recently identified Omicron variant deserves further investigation.
25-gen-2022
Non pubblicato
Rilevanza internazionale
Articolo
Sì, ma tipo non specificato
Settore MED/07 - MICROBIOLOGIA E MICROBIOLOGIA CLINICA
English
N gene target failure
NGS
SARS-CoV-2
delta variant
diagnostic assay
nucleocapsid deletion
omicron variant
sequence
Alkhatib, M., Bellocchi, M.c., Marchegiani, G., Grelli, S., Micheli, V., Stella, D., et al. (2022). First Case of a COVID-19 Patient Infected by Delta AY.4 with a Rare Deletion Leading to a N Gene Target Failure by a Specific Real Time PCR Assay: Novel Omicron VOC Might Be Doing Similar Scenario?. MICROORGANISMS, 10(2), 268 [10.3390/microorganisms10020268].
Alkhatib, M; Bellocchi, Mc; Marchegiani, G; Grelli, S; Micheli, V; Stella, D; Zerillo, B; Carioti, L; Svicher, V; Rogliani, P; Ceccherini-Silberstein, F
Articolo su rivista
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
microorganisms-10-00268.pdf

accesso aperto

Licenza: Non specificato
Dimensione 512.43 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
512.43 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/303938
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 7
  • Scopus 12
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 12
social impact