ABSTRACT
To apply deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probes for respiratory adenoviruses directly to clinical material without preliminary amplification in cell culture, cross-reactivities with other subgroups must be eliminated, and the sensitivity should be increased. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children worldwide. A relatively simple hybridization assay using cDNA probes specific for subgroups A and B of RSV detects the viral RNA in fixed, virally infected cells. In Situ Hybridization for cytomegalovirus (CMV) in liver biopsies using the biotinylated label in the PathoGene Kit proved to be less sensitive, although highly specific, when compared to immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody against an early CMV antigen. Interpretation of serological findings of Epstein-Barr virus infection is particularly complicated in the presence of immunosuppression. Detection of the viral genome may be an invaluable tool in establishing the pathogenetic role of the virus.
