title: [Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus RNA in autopsy tissues with in situ hybridization].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in SARS autopsy tissues at the molecular level.
  
  
  METHODS
  In situ hybridization was used to detect the expression and location of SARS-CoV RNA polymerase gene in autopsy tissues from SARS-Cov-infected subjects, including the lung, spleen, lymph nodes, pituitary, pancreas, parathyroid, adrenal glands, gastrointestinal tract, skin, brain, liver, kidney, blood vessels, striated muscles of the limbs, bone marrow, heart, ovary, uterus and testicles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SARS-CoV RNA was detected in the cytoplasm of the alveolar epithelia, infiltrating mononuclear phagocytes in the lungs, serous gland epithelium of the trachea/bronchus, monocytes in the spleen and lymph nodes, acinar cells in the pancreas, acidophilic cells in the parathyroid and pituitary, adrenal cortical cells, epithelia of the alimentary tracts, gastric parietal cells, sweat gland cells, brain neurons, hepatocytes near the central vein, epithelia of the distal renal tubules, bone marrow promyelocytes, and endothelia of the small veins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SARS-CoV invades various organs of the body and distributes in a similar fashion to CD13, the receptor of human coronavirus 229E. The detection of SARS-CoV in the sweat glands, alimentary tracts and epithelia of the distal convoluted tubules of the kidney may help identify the transmission routes of SARS-CoV.
authors: Department of Pathology, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zqllc8@fimmu.com
authors: Qing-ling
authors: QL
authors: Zhang
authors: Yan-qing
authors: YQ
authors: Ding
authors: Jin-lin
authors: JL
authors: Hou
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: He
authors: Zhong-xi
authors: ZX
authors: Huang
authors: Hui-jun
authors: HJ
authors: Wang
authors: Jun-jie
authors: JJ
authors: Cai
authors: Jin-hua
authors: JH
authors: Zhang
authors: Wen-li
authors: WL
authors: Zhang
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Geng
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Kang
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Yang
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Shen
authors: Zhuo-guo
authors: ZG
authors: Li
authors: Hui-xia
authors: HX
authors: Han
authors: Yao-dan
authors: YD
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D007686:Kidney Tubules, Distal / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission; D013545:Sweat Glands / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral