[Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus RNA in autopsy tissues with in situ hybridization].
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.
Zhang
Qing-ling
QL
Department of Pathology, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zqllc8@fimmu.com
Ding
Yan-qing
YQ
Hou
Jin-lin
JL
He
Li
L
Huang
Zhong-xi
ZX
Wang
Hui-jun
HJ
Cai
Jun-jie
JJ
Zhang
Jin-hua
JH
Zhang
Wen-li
WL
Geng
Jian
J
Li
Xin
X
Kang
Wei
W
Yang
Lei
L
Shen
Hong
H
Li
Zhuo-guo
ZG
Han
Hui-xia
HX
Lu
Yao-dan
YD
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
D012367:RNA, Viral