Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus RNA in plasma during the course of infection.

Wang WK, Fang CT, Chen HL, Yang CF, Chen YC, Chen ML, Chen SY, Yang JY, Lin JH, Yang PC, Chang SC.

Citation

Wang WK, Fang CT, Chen HL, Yang CF, Chen YC, Chen ML, Chen SY, Yang JY, Lin JH, Yang PC, Chang SC. (2005) Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus RNA in plasma during the course of infection. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 43(2):962-965.

Abstract

We examined severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) RNA in plasma of 32 patients (probable SARS cases) by a quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay and reported that the highest detection rate, 75%, was found between day 5 and day 7 of illness, followed by rates of 64, 50, and 38% found between day 8 and day 11, day 2 and day 4, and day 12 and day 16, respectively. Analysis of sequential SARS-CoV load in plasma from six cases revealed different patterns of viremia, with the peak between day 4 and day 8. Our findings of the high detection rate of SARS-CoV RNA in plasma before day 11, together with the relative convenience of collecting and handling plasma, suggest that plasma can be used for early diagnosis of SARS.