MOLECULAR-DETECTION AND SEROTYPIC ANALYSIS OF ENTEROVIRUS RNA IN ARCHIVAL SPECIMENS FROM PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDITIS

Objective-To determine whether enterovirus RNA can be demonstrated in archival necropsy material in acute myocarditis. Design-Analysis of pa raffin embedded myocardial tissue from cases of acute myocarditis. Set ting-University virology department. Methods-Extraction of RNA from ti ssue followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequence anal ysis. Patients-Six patients with histologically proven myocarditis and eight controls. Results Enterovirus RNA was identified in 5 of 6 pati ents with myocarditis and in none of the controls. The nucleotide sequ ences of the PCR products showed greatest similarity to group B coxsac kieviruses, particularly coxsackievirus B3. Conclusion-This study indi cates that archival tissue samples, even histologically stained tissue sections, can be used to study the role of enteroviruses in myocardia l disease using molecular detection techniques. If a predominant role for coxsackievirus B3 in myocarditis is confirmed by further study, th is may have implications for the development of a specific vaccine.