title: Use of the human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cell line for isolating respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal aspirates.
abstract: The human colorectal adenocarcinoma-derived Caco-2 cell line was evaluated as a means isolating common respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal aspirates for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. One hundred eighty-nine direct immunofluorescence positive nasopharyngeal aspirates obtained from patients with various viral respiratory diseases were cultured in the presence of Caco-2 cells or the following conventional cell lines: LLC-MK2, MDCK, HEp-2, and A549. Caco-2 cell cultures effectively propagated the majority (84%) of the viruses present in nasopharyngeal aspirate samples compared with any positive cultures obtained using the panel cells (78%) or individual cell line MDCK (38%), HEp-2 (21%), LLC-MK2 (27%), or A549 (37%) cell lines. The differences against individual cell line were statistically significant (P = < 0.000001). Culture in Caco-2 cells resulted in the isolation of 85% (36/42) of viruses which were not cultivated in conventional cell lines. By contrast, 80% (24/30) of viruses not cultivated in Caco-2 cells were isolated using the conventional panel. The findings indicated that Caco-2 cells were sensitive to a wide range of viruses and can be used to culture a broad range of respiratory viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. chankh2@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: K K W
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: To
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: V C C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J F W
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000821:virology*; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods*; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult