[Molecular confirmation of enterovirus type 71 infection: a post-mortem study of two cases].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnostic application of molecular detection of enterovirus type 71 (EV71) infection using post-mortem paraffin-embedded tissue.


METHODS
Two autopsy cases of EV71 infection were studied by histopathological and immunohistochemical methods. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect the viral RNA in paraffin-embedded tissue samples.


RESULTS
Characteristic features of acute encephalitis were seen in the brain, with most prominent lesions found in the brain stem in both cases. Inflammatory cells were largely CD68-positive microglia with a few CD15-positive neutrophils in the areas of neuronal necrosis. The 5'-untranslated region of EV71 was detected in the medulla by RT-PCR using paraffin-embedded tissues of both cases. Sequencing analysis of the RT-PCR products showed 100% homology to the EV71 strain, recently submitted to the GenBank database from Fuyang, Anhui province.


CONCLUSIONS
Molecular detection of EV71 can be performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from fatally infected patients. Timely and accurate diagnosis of the infection by such molecular approach is crucial for the proper clinical and public health intervention.
Yang
Yu
Y
Department of Pathology, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing Autopsy Center, Beijing 100083, China.
Wang
Hua
H
DU
Juan
J
Zhao
Xi-shun
XS
Gong
En-cong
EC
Gao
Zi-fen
ZF
Zheng
Jie
J
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001344:Autopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D029821:Enterovirus A, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D012367:RNA, Viral; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule