title: [Application of a diagnostic method using reverse transcription-PCR ELISA for the diagnosis of enteroviral infections].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enteroviruses are known as major pathogen for aseptic meningitis. Although rapid diagnosis for enteroviruses is very essential to exclude bacterial infections in patients with meningitis, classical diagnostic method based on virus isolation is not practicable for timely treatment of patients due to its laborious and time-consuming procedure. Recently molecular methodologies as alternatives are routinely used for rapid and sensitive diagnosis for enteroviruses infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR ELISA kit for targeting 5' non-coding region (NCR) with highly conserved genetic identity among all genotypes of enteroviruses was introduced in this investigation. RT-PCR ELISA was evaluated about sensitivity and specificity through virus isolation using clinical specimens from patients suspected of enteroviral infections and enteroviral isolates comparing with conventional RT-PCR identifying them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The detection limit of the RT-PCR ELISA was up to 10-100 folds higher than virus isolation using cell culture and conventional RT-PCR. On comparison between above two methods, the detection rate of RT-PCR ELISA for clinical specimens from patients with aseptic meningitis was 7% higher than that of conventional RT-PCR targeting 5'NCR (P=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that RT-PCR ELISA developed in this study could be an alternative diagnostic method for the detection of enteroviral genome with high sensitivity and specificity.
authors.affiliation: Chungcheongnam-do Health & Environment Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwisung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kangbum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyungah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Eunhye
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Seongmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Youngchae
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jaehyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Gwangsook
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Doo-Sung
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Cheon
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000175:diagnosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012367:RNA, Viral