title: Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations.
abstract: A retrospective viral load study was performed on clinical specimens from 154 patients with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS); the specimens were prospectively collected during patients' illness. Viral load in nasopharyngeal aspirates (n = 142) from day 10 to day 15 after onset of symptoms was associated with oxygen desaturation, mechanical ventilation, diarrhea, hepatic dysfunction, and death. Serum viral load (n = 53) was associated with oxygen desaturation, mechanical ventilation, and death. Stool viral load (n = 94) was associated with diarrhea, and urine viral load (n = 111) was associated with abnormal urinalysis results. Viral replications at different sites are important in the pathogenesis of clinical and laboratory abnormalities of SARS.
authors.affiliation: Queen Mary Hospital at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: I F N
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: V C C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: A K L
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: B S F
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: M M L
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: L L M
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: D M W
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: P C Y
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: S K P
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: J S M
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peiris
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load