Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of respiratory disease in young children. We evaluated a centrifugation culture technique's ability to provide rapid culture diagnosis. Between 11/85 & 3/86, 365 respiratory specimens were processed by standard culture &/or direct immunofluorescent antibody (FA). Of these, 183 specimens (74% nasal washes) were inoculated with 0.2 ml onto HEp-2 shell vials (SV), centrifuged at 35°C, 2500 × g for one hour & incubated for 24 & 48 hours. Coverslips were acetone fixed & stained with RSV Fitc-conjugated monoclonal antibody. For standard cell cultures, the time to positive cytopathic effect (CPE) was seven days. Thirty of 140 (22%) were standard cell culture positive for RSV, 38 of 111 (34%) were FA positive for RSV & 34 of 183 (34%) were FA positive for RSV by shell vial. Sensitivity & specificity by shell vial were, respectively, 70% & 96%, compared with culture, & 63% & 96% compared with FA. Specificity for SV is 99% if specimens positive on FA & SV are considered false negatives on routine culture. This centrifugation culture technique, as applied to RSV, provided specific results five days sooner than standard culture. Only 10% of specimens negative by both FA & SV were positive on culture. A combination of FA & shell vial methods could provide a rapid, specific & sensitive diagnosis for RSV while allowing virus isolation.
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Stout, C., Roberts, R., Murphy, M. et al. COMPARISON OF SHELL VIAL CENTRIFUGATION, STANDARD CULTURE AND FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY (FA) TECHNIQUES FOR DIAGNOSIS OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV). Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 335 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-01009
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-01009