ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To isolate and identify SARS-coronavirus in nasal and throat swabs collected from clinically diagnosed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Nasal and throat swab specimens were inoculated onto well of 24-well plate containing confluent monolayers of Vero and MRC-5 cells. Isolates were identified with serology, electron microscopy and genome sequence.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>One hundred and fifty-eight nasal and throat swabs specimens from 79 SARS patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between April and May, 2003 were cultured for SARS-coronavirus. Cytopathic effect (CPE) was found in three nasal swab specimens inoculated in Vero cells. Acute and convalescent phase serum specimens collected from SARS patients were found with seroconversions and/or a fourfold or greater rises in indirect fluorescence antibodies (IgG and IgM) titers when the 3 isolates (infected Vero cells) were used as antigen. Coronavirus was observed in the culture supernatant by negative-stain electron microscopy. Genome sequence confirmed the isolates were SARS-coronavirus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The 3 isolates from nasal and throat swabs samples collected from 79 clinically diagnosed SARS patients were SARS coronavirus.</p>