title: Clinical application of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and intravenous immunoglobulin for enterovirus encephalitis.
abstract: Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a highly sensitive procedure for the diagnosis of enteroviruses, it has never been systemically applied to the treatment of enteroviral encephalitis using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). We conducted a 2-year randomized, controlled comparison of reverse transcription (RT)-PCR of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with traditional viral isolation to guide IVIg treatment. Seventy-five patients were enrolled and classified into three groups: one group with clinical manifestations of enteroviral infections and two without. The latter two groups were separated on the basis of whether IVIg treatment was guided by RT-PCR or virus culture assay. CSF specimens from the 18 confirmed cases of enteroviral encephalitis were RT-PCR positive for enterovirus in all but one case. Of the remaining 57 cases of nonenteroviral encephalitis, only 4 were positive for enterovirus RT-PCR. One patient in the group of IVIg treatment guided by viral isolation subsequently displayed a sequel of epilepsy. No patients in the IVIg treatment groups guided by RT-PCR had any neurological sequelae. In conclusion, the use of RT-PCR allowed rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of enteroviral RNA in CSF. When used to guide IVIg treatment, RT-PCR may shorten hospitalization and improve outcomes of patients with enteroviral encephalitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Veterans General Hospital-Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Bao-Chen
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tsi-Shu
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Kai-Sheng
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Shu-Nuan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yung-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D012367:RNA, Viral