title: Comparison of direct immunofluorescence, conventional cell culture and polymerase chain reaction techniques for detecting respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal aspirates from infants.
abstract: A total of 316 samples of nasopharyngeal aspirate from infants up to two years of age with acute respiratory-tract illnesses were processed for detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) using three different techniques: viral isolation, direct immunofluorescence, and PCR. Of the samples, 36 (11.4%) were positive for RSV, considering the three techniques. PCR was the most sensitive technique, providing positive findings in 35/316 (11.1%) of the samples, followed by direct immunofluorescence (25/316, 7.9%) and viral isolation (20/315, 6.3%) (p < 0.001). A sample was positive by immunofluorescence and negative by PCR, and 11 (31.4%) were positive only by RT-PCR. We conclude that RT-PCR is more sensitive than IF and viral isolation to detect RSV in nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens in newborn and infants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexanda Dias
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Domingues
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Clarisse Martins
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: José de Paula
authors.initials: Jde P
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: Renato Reis
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Adriana Fumie
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Tateno
authors.forename: Adriana Freire
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Maria Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Claudio Sérgio
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Pannuti
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral