Syncytia Induction by Clinical Isolates of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus A.

Objective: Syncytia formation is the hallmark of the cytopathic effect caused by human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), which is the most important viral respiratory pathogen in children. This article reports methodological improvements in primary HRSV isolation and the importance of syncytia formation and mRNA levels of F protein for the progeny yield, using clinical isolates of HRSV.

Methods: The A and B strains of HRSV were isolated in HEp-2 cell cultures from fresh and frozen nasopharyngeal aspirates.