Title | Coronavirus 229E-related pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. | ||
Author | Pene, Frederic; Merlat, Annabelle; Vabret, Astrid; Rozenberg, Flore; Buzyn, Agnes; Dreyfus, Francois; Cariou, Alain; Freymuth, Francois; Lebon, Pierre | ||
Journal | Clin Infect Dis | Publication Year/Month | 2003-Oct |
PMID | 13130404 | PMCID | PMC7107892 |
Affiliation | 1.Medical Intensive Care Unit, Cochin-Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital, University Paris V, Paris, France. frederic.pene@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr. |
Coronaviruses strains 229E and OC43 have been associated with various respiratory illnesses ranging from the self-resolving common cold to severe pneumonia. Although chronic underlying conditions are major determinants of severe respiratory virus infections, few data about coronavirus-related pneumonia in immunocompromised patients are available. Here we report 2 well-documented cases of pneumonia related to coronavirus 229E, each with a different clinical presentation. Diagnosis was made on the basis of viral culture and electron microscopy findings that exhibited typical crown-like particles and through amplification of the viral genome by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. On the basis of this report, coronaviruses should be considered as potential causative microorganisms of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients.