Abstract
Purpose:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with corneal endotheliitis and iridocyclitis in immunocompetent patients. The difference between CMV causing endotheliitis and iridocyclitis has not been studied and little is known about the association of genetic polymorphisms in some genes with the infection type. This study analyzed the CMV genotypes associated with corneal endotheliitis and iridocyclitis.
Methods:
Aqueous humor was collected from 12 corneal endotheliitis cases with corneal edema and six iridocyclitis cases without corneal edema, and CMV genomic DNA was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. We genotyped the CMV envelope glycoprotein B (gB) and tumor necrosis factor-like receptor (UL144) genes.
Results:
The mean CMV viral load in corneal endotheliitis and iridocyclitis was 3.8×106 and 4.1×106 copies/ml, respectively. The difference in the CMV viral load between the two groups was not significant. PCR amplification was positive for gB in nine endotheliitis and five iridocyclitis samples and for UL144 in 11 endotheliitis and six iridocyclitis samples. Sequence analysis of gB yielded two genetic subtypes: gB type 1 (7 endotheliitis samples, 5 iridocyclitis samples) and gB type 3 (2 endotheliitis, 0 iridocyclitis). There were three UL144 genotypes: type 1 (5 endotheliitis samples, 5 iridocyclitis samples), type 2 (2 endotheliitis, 1 iridocyclitis) and type 3 (4 endotheliitis, 0 iridocyclitis). There were no associations between the gB and UL144 genotypes and infection type.
Conclusions:
CMV gB type1 was predominant in endotheliitis and iridocyclitis. The CMV genotypes associated with endotheliitis and iridocyclitis could be similar.
Keywords: 492 cytomegalovirus •
481 cornea: endothelium •
557 inflammation