title: The design and application of DNA chips for early detection of SARS-CoV from clinical samples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  SARS coronavirus has been identified as the cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Few tests allow confirmation or exclusion of SARS within the first few days of infection. A gene chip is a useful tool for the study of microbial infections mainly for its capability of performing multi-target analysis in a single test.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Investigate the possibility of early detection of SARS virus from clinical samples using the gene chip-based method.
  
  
  METHODS
  We purified RNA from SARS-CoV obtained from routinely collected peripheral blood and sputum samples of 34 patients who had been identified as probable SARS patients by following the interim U.S. case definition. Four segments of the SARS-CoV were amplified using reverse transcription-nested PCR and the products examined using the 70-mer gene chips for SARS-CoV detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A blind-test of both peripheral blood and sputum specimens lead to the positive detection of SARS-CoV in 31 out of 34 patients. SARS-CoV was not found in peripheral blood or sputum specimens from three patients. Two of the 34 patients were only 3 days post-onset of symptoms and were subsequently confirmed to be SARS positive. Our results indicate that the gene chip-based molecular test is specific for SARS-CoV and allows early detection of patients with SARS with detection rate about 8% higher than the single PCR test when the sputum sample is available.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ren-quan
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sheng-ce
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Ze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua-fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhi-wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian-yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Pei-xuan
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yan-bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chuan-zan
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yan-hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hua-wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Yan-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jian-wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Huan-cong
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Quan-zhong
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Zhan-xiu
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D002681:China; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D013183:Sputum / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral