Resequencing microarray for detection of human adenoviruses in patients with conjunctivitis.
BACKGROUND
Although high-density resequencing microarray is useful for detection and tracking the evolution of viruses associated with respiratory tract infections, no report on using this technology for the detection of viruses in patients with conjunctivitis is available.


OBJECTIVE
To test if high-density resequencing microarray can be applied to detection of viruses in conjunctival swabs for patients with conjunctivitis.


METHODS
In this prospective proof-of-concept study, every 4 or 5 bacterial culture-negative conjunctival swab samples were pooled and subject to viral detection using TessArray Resequencing Pathogen Microarrays-Flu 3.1 (RPM-Flu-3.1). Results were compared with human adenovirus (HAdV) hexon gene PCR sequencing and viral culture.


RESULTS
Thirty-two of the 38 conjunctival swab samples were bacterial culture-negative. Four of the 7 pooled samples were positive for HAdV using RPM-Flu-3.1. Hexon gene PCR sequencing on the 38 original individual samples showed that 3 and 4 samples contained HAdVs species D and B respectively. All the 6 samples that were positive for hexon gene PCR but negative for bacterial culture were also positive by the resequencing microarray. Viral culture was positive for HAdV type 3 in 1 sample, which was also positive by PCR and resequencing microarray.


CONCLUSIONS
Resequencing microarray is as sensitive as PCR for detection of HAdV in conjunctival swabs. Unlike viral culture and hexon gene PCR sequencing, resequencing microarray was not able to differentiate the type and species of HAdV. Development of microarrays for conjunctivitis can be performed for rapid diagnosis of the viral cause of conjunctivitis.
Woo
Patrick C Y
PC
State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Hong Kong.
Lau
Susanna K P
SK
Choi
Garnet K Y
GK
Fung
Hin-Tat
HT
Shek
Kam-Chuen
KC
Miao
Ji
J
Chan
Benedict Y L
BY
Ng
Kenneth H L
KH
Ngan
Antonio H Y
AH
Ellis-Behnke
Rutledge
R
Que
Tak-Lun
TL
Kam
Chak-Wah
CW
Yuen
Kwok-Yung
KY
D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult