Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Enhanced clinical utility of the NucliSens EasyQ RSV A+B Assay for rapid detection of respiratory syncytial virus in clinical samples

  • Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare traditional methods for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus with a newly developed commercial assay based on real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification. Respiratory syncytial virus is a major cause of severe respiratory infection in infants and in certain groups of older children and adults. Treatment options are limited, but a rapid diagnosis improves patient management and infection control. The rapid diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus currently relies on antigen detection assays. These tests are limited to use in certain good-quality types of samples, which are rarely obtained from adult patients. Molecular-based assays for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus are shown to be highly sensitive, specific, and more rapid than cell culture techniques. This retrospective study compared traditional laboratory techniques for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus in 508 respiratory samples collected during the winter months of 2003–2004 against the recently developed, commercially available NucliSens EasyQ Respiratory Syncytial Virus A+B assay (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France), which is based on real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification using molecular beacons and an internal control. Using traditional techniques, the prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus in the samples tested was found to be 21%. Using the real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay, an additional 41 samples from patients with a clinically diagnosed respiratory illness were found to be positive for respiratory syncytial virus. The NucliSens EasyQ assay was shown to be sensitive and specific for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus A+B in different types of respiratory samples. Moreover, the time required to complete the assay was <4 h, so results could be obtained on the same day as sample receipt in the laboratory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Damachowske JB, Rosenberg HF (1999) Respiratory syncytial virus infection: immune response, immunopathogenesis, and treatment. Clin Microbiol Rev 12:298–309

    Google Scholar 

  2. Falsey AR, Walsh E (2000) Respiratory syncytial virus infection in adults. Clin Microbiol Rev 13:371–384

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Welliver RC (2004) Respiratory syncytial virus infection: therapy and prevention. Paediatr Resp Rev 5(Suppl A):S127–S133

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dudas RA, Karron RA (1998) Respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Clin Microbiol Rev 11:430–439

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Walsh EE, McConnochie KM, Long CE, Hall CB (1997) Severity of respiratory syncytial virus infection is related to virus strain. J Infect Dis 175:814–820

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sullender WM (2000) Respiratory syncytial virus genetic and antigenic diversity. Clin Microbiol Rev 13:1–15

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kafetzis DA (2004) Prophylaxis, therapy and prevention of viral respiratory infections. Paediatr Resp Rev 5(Suppl A):S185–S189

    Google Scholar 

  8. Englund JA, Piedra P, Jewell A, Baxter BB, Whimbey E, Patel K (1996) Rapid diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus in immunocompromised adults. J Clin Microbiol 34:1649–1653

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hall CB, Douglas RG, Gieman JM (1976) Respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants: quantitation and duration of shedding. J Pediatr 131:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  10. Falsey AR, Formica MA, Walsh EE (2002) Diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus infection: comparison of reverse transcription-PCR to viral culture and serology in adults with respiratory illness. J Clin Microbiol 40:817–820

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Henrickson KJ (2004) Advances in the laboratory diagnosis of viral respiratory disease. Pediatr Infect Dis J 23:S6–S10

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Simoes EAF (2001) Overlap between respiratory syncytial virus infection and influenza. Commentary. Lancet 358:1382–1383

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Paton AW, Paton JC, Lawrence AJ, Goldwater PN, Harris RJ (1992) Rapid detection of respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal aspirates by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification. J Clin Microbiol 30:901–904

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hu A, Colella M, Tam JS, Rappaport R, Cheng SM (2003) Simultaneous detection, subgrouping and quantitation of respiratory syncytial virus A and B by real-time PCR. J Clin Microbial 41:149–154

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Borg I, Rohde G, Löseke S, Bittscheidt J, Schultze-Weninghaus G, Stephan V, Bufe A (2003) Evaluation of a quantitative real-time PCR for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus in pulmonary diseases. Eur Respir J 21:944–951

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Boivin G, Côté S, Déry P, De Serres G, Bergeron MG (2004) Multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of influenza and human respiratory syncytial viruses. J Clin Microbiol 42:45–51

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Templeton KE, Scheltinga SA, Beersma MFC, Kroes ACM, Claas ACJ (2004) Rapid and sensitive method using multiplex real-time PCR for diagnosis of infections by influenza A and influenza B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza viruses 1, 2, 3 and 4. J Clin Microbiol 2042:1564–1569

    Google Scholar 

  18. Dingle KE, Crook D, Jeffery K (2004) Stable and noncompetitive RNA internal control for routine clinical diagnostic reverse transcription-PCR. J Clin Microbiol 42:1003–1011

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Deiman B, Van Aarle P, Sillekens P (2002) Characteristics and applications of nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA). Mol Biotech 20:163–179

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Fox JD, Song H, Samuelson A, Zhang Y, Neale ML, Westmoreland D (2002) Development and evaluation of nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) for the diagnosis of Enterovirus infections using the Nuclisen basic kit. J Clin Virol 24:117–130

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hibbitts S, Fox JD (2004) Real-time NASBA. In: Saunders N, Logan J, Edwards K (eds) Methods in real-time PCR. Horizon Scientific, Hethersett, UK, pp 225–241

    Google Scholar 

  22. Hibbitts S, Rahman A, John R, Westmoreland D, Fox JD (2003) Development and evaluation of NucliSens Basic Kit NASBA for diagnosis of parainfluenza virus infection. J Virol Methods 108:145–155

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hibbitts S, Fox JD (2002) The application of molecular techniques to diagnosis of viral respiratory tract infections. Rev Med Microbiol 13:177–185

    Google Scholar 

  24. Moore C, Hibbitts S, Owen N, Corden S, Harrison G, Fox J, Gelder C, Westmoreland D (2004) Development and evaluation of a real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification assay for rapid detection of influenza A. J Med Virol 74:619–628

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Boom R, Sol CJ, Salimans MMM, Hansen CL, Wertheim-van Dillen PME, Noordaa van de J (1990) Rapid and simple method for purification of nucleic acids. J Clin Microbiol 28:495–503

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Deiman B, Jacobs F, Schrover C, Vermeer S, van de Wiel P (2004) Development of NucliSens EasyQ Respiratory Syncytial Virus reagents. In: Program and abstracts of the 2nd Eurovirology Meeting, Madrid, 5–9 September 2005, Abstract no. P10 17

  27. Stockton J, Ellis JS, Saville M, Clewley JP, Zambon MC (1998) Multiplex PCR for typing and subtyping influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses. J Clin Microbiol 36:2990–2995

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Newcombe RG (1998) Improved confidence intervals for the difference between binomial proportions based on paired data. Stat Med 17:2635–2650

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the staff of the Wales Specialist Virologist Centre and other hospital laboratories in Wales who performed the traditional laboratory assays. Their contribution was instrumental to the completion of this study. Technical support and the reagents for the real-time NASBA assay were provided by bioMérieux.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wales Specialist Virology Centre, National Public Health Service for Wales Microbiology Cardiff, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF, 14 4XW, UK

    C. Moore, M. Valappil, S. Corden & D. Westmoreland

Authors
  1. C. Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Valappil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Corden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. Westmoreland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Moore.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moore, C., Valappil, M., Corden, S. et al. Enhanced clinical utility of the NucliSens EasyQ RSV A+B Assay for rapid detection of respiratory syncytial virus in clinical samples. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 25, 167–174 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/S10096-006-0112-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/S10096-006-0112-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation