Liu Chun-yan, Shen Kun-ling, Wang Shu-xin, Liu Ya-yi, Zhaori Ge-tu
Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100045, China.
Chin Med J (Engl). 2004 Mar;117(3):353-6.
This study was to assess certain epidemiological and clinical characteristics of astrovirus infection in children with diarrhea below 5 years old hospitalized at the Beijing Children's Hospital.
From September 1999 to August 2001, a total of 288 children with diarrhea below 5 years old hospitalized at Beijing Children's Hospital were studied. Fecal specimens collected from each patient were tested for astrovirus by using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and further serotyped by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using serotype-specific primers.
Astrovirus antigen was positive in 9.0% of the patients, and the rate of coinfection with rotavirus was 19.2% among the astrovirus positive patients. The patients with astrovirus infection were at the age of 7 days to 17 months, most (92.3%) of them were less than 12 months. Astrovirus infection occurred mainly between October and March of the following year. Main symptoms included watery stool, vomiting, fever, and dehydration. Increased activity of myocardial enzyme was seen in 4 patients. Of the 22 astrovirus positive specimens, 14 were successfully serotyped by RT-PCR and they were all serotype 1.
The overall incidence of astrovirus infection in young children with diarrhea hospitalized at the Beijing Children's Hospital was 9.0%. The predominant serotype was type 1. Astrovirus may play an important role in viral diarrhea in young children in Beijing, China.
本研究旨在评估北京儿童医院收治的5岁以下腹泻患儿中星状病毒感染的某些流行病学和临床特征。
1999年9月至2001年8月，对北京儿童医院收治的288例5岁以下腹泻患儿进行了研究。采用酶免疫测定法（EIA）对每位患者采集的粪便标本进行星状病毒检测，并使用型特异性引物通过逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）进一步进行血清分型。
9.0%的患者星状病毒抗原呈阳性，在星状病毒阳性患者中轮状病毒合并感染率为19.2%。星状病毒感染患者年龄为7天至17个月，其中大多数（92.3%）小于12个月。星状病毒感染主要发生在10月至次年3月。主要症状包括水样便、呕吐、发热和脱水。4例患者心肌酶活性升高。在22份星状病毒阳性标本中，14份通过RT-PCR成功进行了血清分型，均为1型。
北京儿童医院收治的腹泻幼儿中星状病毒感染的总体发病率为9.0%。主要血清型为1型。在中国北京，星状病毒可能在幼儿病毒性腹泻中起重要作用。
