Pathology of exfoliated oropharyngeal epithelial cells infected with wild-type adenovirus

Adenovirus disease was diagnosed in 2 hr by staining exfoliated infected oropharyngeal cells with fluorescein-tagged rabbit antisera to adenovirus types 4 and 7. The method was as sensitive as the standard virus isolation procedures, but serological cross reactions were observed. Viral antigens were detected in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected cells. Infection was accompanied by the outpouring of large numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and smaller numbers of mononuclear cells. The method provides a model for the study of the cellular response to viral upper respiratory disease.