title: Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus RNA in plasma during the course of infection.
abstract: We examined severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) RNA in plasma of 32 patients (probable SARS cases) by a quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay and reported that the highest detection rate, 75%, was found between day 5 and day 7 of illness, followed by rates of 64, 50, and 38% found between day 8 and day 11, day 2 and day 4, and day 12 and day 16, respectively. Analysis of sequential SARS-CoV load in plasma from six cases revealed different patterns of viremia, with the peak between day 4 and day 8. Our findings of the high detection rate of SARS-CoV RNA in plasma before day 11, together with the relative convenience of collecting and handling plasma, suggest that plasma can be used for early diagnosis of SARS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Tapei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Kung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chi-Tai
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Hui-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chao-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yee-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mei-Ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shey-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jyh-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jih-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pan-Chyr
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shan-Chwen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral