title: [Isolation and identification of SARS-coronavirus in nasal and throat swabs collected from clinically diagnosed SARS patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To isolate and identify SARS-coronavirus in nasal and throat swabs collected from clinically diagnosed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal and throat swab specimens were inoculated onto well of 24-well plate containing confluent monolayers of Vero and MRC-5 cells. Isolates were identified with serology, electron microscopy and genome sequence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and fifty-eight nasal and throat swabs specimens from 79 SARS patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between April and May, 2003 were cultured for SARS-coronavirus. Cytopathic effect (CPE) was found in three nasal swab specimens inoculated in Vero cells. Acute and convalescent phase serum specimens collected from SARS patients were found with seroconversions and/or a fourfold or greater rises in indirect fluorescence antibodies (IgG and IgM) titers when the 3 isolates (infected Vero cells) were used as antigen. Coronavirus was observed in the culture supernatant by negative-stain electron microscopy. Genome sequence confirmed the isolates were SARS-coronavirus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 3 isolates from nasal and throat swabs samples collected from 79 clinically diagnosed SARS patients were SARS coronavirus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China. niap@csc.pumch.ac.cn
authors.forename: An-ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shi-de
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ye-hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Bo-qin
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Qiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D013048:Specimen Handling
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral