Detection of respiratory syncytial virus antigen after seventy-two hours of culture.

Between September, 1987, and April, 1989, three techniques for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were compared: indirect immunofluorescence (IF) on the sample, indirect immunofluorescence after 72 h of MRC-5 cell culture (IF 72h), and detection of the cytopathic effect (CPE) by MRC-5 and HEp-2 cell culture. A study of 383 nasal aspirates from young children admitted to the Centre Hospitalier de Nantes (CHR) showing miscellaneous respiratory symptoms produced the following results: 143 samples (37%) were RSV positive by IF, 119 (31%) were positive by IF 72h, and 117 (31%) showed RSV-induced CPE. In comparison with tissue culture isolation (TC), the sensitivities of IF and IF 72h were 89% and 80% and their specificities 85% and 91%, respectively. During the winter of 1988-1989, of the 110 RSV-positive nasal aspirates (104 by IF, 89 by IF 72h, 83 by CPE detection), 109 were identified by IF and/or IF 72h. IF 72h affords rapid detection of RSV.