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. 2004 Oct;10(10):1745-50.
doi: 10.3201/eid1010.040026.

Virus-specific RNA and antibody from convalescent-phase SARS patients discharged from hospital

Hoe Nam Leong  1 , Kwai Peng Chan, Ali S Khan, Lynette Oon, Su Yun Se-Thoe, Xin Lai Bai, Daniel Yeo, Yee Sin Leo, Brenda Ang, Thomas G Ksiazek, Ai Ee Ling
Affiliations

Virus-specific RNA and antibody from convalescent-phase SARS patients discharged from hospital

Hoe Nam Leong et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Oct.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV). In a longitudinal cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence of virus in bodily excretions and time of seroconversion in discharged patients with SARS. Conjunctival, throat, stool, and urine specimens were collected weekly from 64 patients and tested for SARS-CoV RNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction; serum samples were collected weekly and tested for SARS-CoV antibody with indirect enzyme immunoassay and immunofluorescence assay. In total, 126 conjunctival, 124 throat swab, 116 stool, and 124 urine specimens were analyzed. Five patients had positive stool samples, collected in weeks 5-9. Two patients seroconverted in weeks 7 and 8; the others were seropositive at the first serum sample collection. In this study, 5 (7.8%) of 64 patients continued to shed viral RNA in stool samples only, for up to week 8 of illness. Most seroconversions occurred by week 6 of illness.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Recruitment of patients by week of illness.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on stool samples plotted by week of illness. Samples were processed for reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Any result was deemed positive if it was detected by both the RealArt HPA-coronavirus RT-PCR kit (Artus Gmbh, Hamburg, Germany) and two other RT-PCR primers designed by Genome Institute of Singapore and the Government Virus Unit, Hong Kong.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cumulative results of first serologic testing of samples by week of illness. Serologic testing was performed by indirect enzyme immunoassay with severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus lysate as the antigen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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