title: Comparison of three commercial RT-PCR systems for the detection of respiratory viruses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to the insensitivity of rapid tests for respiratory viruses, nucleic acid amplification tests are quickly becoming the standard of care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The performance of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RP) and Verigene RV+ (RV+) were compared in a retrospective analysis of 89 clinical specimens previously determined to be positive for the following viruses by our test of record, Prodesse (Pro): influenza A (29, FluA), influenza B (13, FluB), respiratory syncytial virus (12, RSV), human metapneumovirus (10, hMPV), parainfluenza (14, PIV), and adenovirus (10, AdV). Samples positive for influenza A, B or RSV were tested by both methods, while the remainder were tested by RP only. True positives were defined as positive by two or more assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Limit of detection (LOD) analyses demonstrated Pro had the lowest LOD for all FluA strains tested, PIV1, PIV2 and AdV; RV+ had the lowest LOD for FluB; and RP had the lowest LOD for RSV, PIV3 and hMPV. Of the 55 samples tested by RV+, all 54 true positive samples were positive by RV+. Of the 89 samples tested by RP, 85 of the 88 true positive samples were positive by RP. From these results, the overall sensitivities for influenza A, B and RSV were 100% and 98% for RV+ and RP, respectively. The overall sensitivity of RP for all viruses was 97%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, these systems demonstrated excellent performance. Furthermore, each system has benefits which will ensure they will all have a niche in a clinical laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, NY, United States.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, NY, United States.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Maceira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, NY, United States.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: McCallen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, NY, United States; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States. Electronic address: stellrk@mail.amc.edu.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stellrecht
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D014780:Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Influenza; Multiplex real-time PCR; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory viruses