Comparison of the NucliSens Basic kit (Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification) and the Argene Biosoft Enterovirus Consensus Reverse Transcription-PCR assays for rapid detection of enterovirus RNA in clinical specimens.

Samples were tested for enterovirus by nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) (NucliSens Basic kit; BioMerieux), reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) (Enterovirus Consensus RT-PCR kit; Argene Biosoft), and virus isolation. Eighty-two samples were tested, and 44 were positive, 34 by both NASBA and RT-PCR and 5 each by NASBA or RT-PCR only. Two nasopharyngeal samples positive only by RT-PCR were determined to be rhinovirus. Of 42 enterovirus-positive samples, NASBA detected 39 (92.9%) and RT-PCR detected 37 (88.1%). The NucliSens Basic kit and the Argene Biosoft RT-PCR had comparable sensitivities for detection of enterovirus RNA, and both molecular methods were more sensitive than culture, which detected only 60.5% of positive samples. NASBA could be completed in 6.5 h versus 9 h for the Argene Biosoft RT-PCR kit.