BACKGROUND: The goal of this work is to establish a broad-range real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic system for ocular fungal infection and to measure Candida and Aspergillus DNA in the ocular fluids obtained from unknown uveitis/endophthalmitis patients. METHODS: After obtaining informed consent, intraocular fluids (aqueous humor and vitreous fluid samples) were collected from 54 patients with idiopathic uveitis or endophthalmitis. Samples were assayed for Candida or Aspergillus DNA using broad-range (18S rRNA sequences) quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Candida or Aspergillus DNA was detected in seven out of 54 patient ocular samples (13%). These PCR-positive samples showed significantly high copy numbers of Candida or Aspergillus DNA. On the other hand, fungal DNA was not detected in any of the other 46 samples collected from these idiopathic uveitis or endophthalmitis patients. In the one PCR-negative case, PCR did not detect any fungal genome in the sample, even though this patient was clinically suspected of having Candida endophthalmitis. Real-time PCR results were negative for fungal DNA in the bacterial endophthalmitis patients and in various uveitis patients. In addition, fungal DNA was also not detected in patients without ocular inflammation (controls). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of ocular samples by this broad-range real-time PCR method can be utilized for rapid diagnosis of patients suffering from unknown intraocular disorders such as idiopathic uveitis/endophthalmitis.
BACKGROUND: The goal of this work is to establish a broad-range real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic system for ocular fungal infection and to measure Candida and Aspergillus DNA in the ocular fluids obtained from unknown uveitis/endophthalmitispatients. METHODS: After obtaining informed consent, intraocular fluids (aqueous humor and vitreous fluid samples) were collected from 54 patients with idiopathic uveitis or endophthalmitis. Samples were assayed for Candida or Aspergillus DNA using broad-range (18S rRNA sequences) quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Candida or Aspergillus DNA was detected in seven out of 54 patient ocular samples (13%). These PCR-positive samples showed significantly high copy numbers of Candida or Aspergillus DNA. On the other hand, fungal DNA was not detected in any of the other 46 samples collected from these idiopathic uveitis or endophthalmitispatients. In the one PCR-negative case, PCR did not detect any fungal genome in the sample, even though this patient was clinically suspected of having Candida endophthalmitis. Real-time PCR results were negative for fungal DNA in the bacterial endophthalmitispatients and in various uveitispatients. In addition, fungal DNA was also not detected in patients without ocular inflammation (controls). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of ocular samples by this broad-range real-time PCR method can be utilized for rapid diagnosis of patients suffering from unknown intraocular disorders such as idiopathic uveitis/endophthalmitis.
Authors: Thomas J Walsh; Elias J Anaissie; David W Denning; Raoul Herbrecht; Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis; Kieren A Marr; Vicki A Morrison; Brahm H Segal; William J Steinbach; David A Stevens; Jo-Anne van Burik; John R Wingard; Thomas F Patterson Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2008-02-01 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: D Y Kunimoto; T Das; S Sharma; S Jalali; A B Majji; U Gopinathan; S Athmanathan; T N Rao Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 1999-08 Impact factor: 5.258
Authors: Nader Moinfar; William E Smiddy; Daniel Miller; Darlene Miller; Kelly Herschel Journal: J Cataract Refract Surg Date: 2007-04 Impact factor: 3.351