[Establishment of semi-nested polymerase chain reaction for detecting Coxsackie B virus RNA and the application in clinical diagnosis of viral myocarditis].

The aim of this study was to determine the applicability of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the detection of CBV RNA and for routine diagnostic use in clinics. To this end, three oligomeric regions of great homology among the CBVs were selected from the conserved 5'-noncoding region of the CBV genome, and were designated as a set of primers and probe. Semi-nested CBV PCR assay was established. The sensitivity of the method is at 0.1 TCID50 in diluted virus stocks, and this method doesn't react with other related viruses. After the optimum reaction system was determined, the technique was then used in clinical samples. In patients with myocarditis, 62 of 111 serum samples were positive by PCR. The CSF samples from patients with meningitis were also tested, and the positive result was found in 7 out of 20 (35%) specimens. Using the same 111 samples, the PCR technique was compared with the ELISA. The detection rates of the two methods for CBV were 56% and 45%, respectively, with a coincident rate of 77%.