Detection of enteroviruses by chip technology (microarray) in aseptic menengitis and carditis etiology

DETECTION OF ENTEROVIRUSES BY CHIP TECHNOLOGY (MICROARRAY)IN ASEPTIC MENENGITIS AND CARDITIS ETIOLOGYThe enteroviruses are widespread human pathogens. Contrary to their nameenteroviruses do not usually cause enteric disease but are transmitted by the fecal-oral route.Poor sanitation and crowded living conditions foster transmission of the viruses. Sewagecontamination of water supplies can result in enterovirus epidemics. Enterovirus infectionsare usually asymptomatic but can cause symptoms ranging from coldlike symtomps toparalytic disease. The differences in the nature of the diseases produced enteroviruses resultmainly from differences in tissue tropism and cytopatic capacity of the virus.In this research, enterovirus search was made among 100 clinical specimens, half ofwhich were patients that have been diagnosed as aseptic menengitis and carditis and the otherhalf of them were control group. CSF (n=40) and blood (n=10) samples were taken from thepatient group and CSF was taken from the control group (patients who were hospitalized forneurological reasons). They were all examined for enterovirus by chip technology (microarraymethod) in a way explained by the manufacturer. Enterovirus was found positive in the CSFspecimens of two patients with aseptic menengitis and in the blood specimens of 3 patientswith carditis. Typing of the enterovirus showed that these were coxackievirus A 16 andenterovirus 71. No enteroviruses are detected in the control group.In conclusion; as the microarray based enterovirus detection assay is sensitive, rapidand provides a single format diagnostic tool for typing, it is a useful test.Key words: Aseptic menengitis, carditis, enteroviruses, chip technology (microarray)