1. SARS-coronavirus replicates in mononuclear cells of peripheral blood (PBMCs) from SARS patients.
- Author
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Li L, Wo J, Shao J, Zhu H, Wu N, Li M, Yao H, Hu M, and Dennin RH
- Subjects
- Female, Genome, Viral, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, RNA, Viral blood, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus isolation & purification, Time Factors, Leukocytes, Mononuclear virology, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus physiology, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virology, Virus Replication
- Abstract
Background: The etiologic agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently identified, positive single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Little is known about the dynamic changes of the viral replicative form in SARS cases., Objectives: Evaluate whether SARS-CoV can infect and replicate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of infected persons and reveal any dynamic changes to the virus during the course of the disease., Study Design: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from SARS cases infected by the same infectious source were tested for both negative-stranded RNA (minus-RNA, "replicative intermediates") and positive-stranded RNA (genomic RNA) of SARS-CoV during the course of hospitalization by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: SARS-CoV minus-RNA was detected in PBMCs from SARS patients. The viral replicative forms in PBMCs were detectable during a period of 6 days post-onset of the disease, while the plus-RNA were detectable for a longer period (8-12 days post-onset)., Conclusions: SARS-coronavirus can infect and replicate within PBMCs of SARS patients, but viral replication in PBMCs seems subject to self-limitation.
- Published
- 2003
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