NeutralisationswertTotal

NeutralisationswertTotal is a composite metric used in serology and virology to quantify the total neutralizing activity of a sample against a defined panel of target antigens or viral strains. It aggregates individual neutralization measurements into a single score that reflects overall breadth and potency of neutralization rather than performance against a single target.

Calculation and variants: In its common form, the NeutralisationswertTotal is the sum of neutralization titers across the panel. A neutralization titer typically represents the reciprocal of the highest serum dilution that achieves a predefined level of inhibition (for example, NT50). For a panel of n targets with titers t1, t2, ..., tn, NeutralisationswertTotal = t1 + t2 + ... + tn. Depending on experimental design, missing values or values below detection can be handled by imputation or truncation. Some implementations use a log-transformed version or a weighted sum to reflect differing weights of targets.

Applications: The metric is used to compare overall neutralizing capacity between samples, time points, or groups and to monitor breadth of response in vaccine studies or infection cohorts. It is particularly informative when individual antigen responses vary greatly, as it provides a global sense of neutralization strength across a panel.

Limitations: NeutralisationswertTotal treats all targets as equally important, which may obscure whether high overall scores stem from a few highly potent targets or moderate responses across many targets. It also depends on panel composition and assay standardization, which can affect cross-study comparability. It is best used alongside antigen-specific titers and breadth assessments.