COMPARISON OF PCR AND CELL CULTURE FOR HUMAN ADENOVIRUS DETECTION IN GASTROENTERITIS AND RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTED NORTH INDIAN CHILDREN

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in young children worldwide. This study aimed to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of laboratory diagnostic methods. We compared to cell culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the detection of Human adenovirus (HAdV) in AGE and ARTI children below 6 years of age. We analyzed 1270 samples taken from children, consisting of 537 fecal specimens from AGE and 733 throat swabs from ARTI pediatric patients. Hep-2 cell line was used for the isolation of HAdV. These viruses were identified by targeting partial hexon gene from fecal specimens and throat swabs. The total positivity for HAdV in AGE patients was 5.96% by cell culture and 8.75% by PCR, so increasing the percentage of identification from 5.96% to 8.75% (p>0.08). In the case of ARTI patients, 4.64% were positive by cell, while 7.23% by PCR in the increased rate of detection of HAdV infection from 4.64% to 7.23% (p<0.04*). Compared to culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PCR was 100%, 97%, and 97% respectively. The sensitivity of PCR was higher than cell culture technique in AGE and ARTI cases. In conclusion, molecular methods were found to be useful for specific and rapid diagnosis of HAdV infections with higher sensitivity compared with the traditional cell culture method.