Abstract
Purpose:
To report patients with uveitis associated to Mycobacterium spp. analyzed by molecular assays on aqueous humor tap and serum samples from an ophthalmologic reference center in Mexico City.
Methods:
A prospective study of 21 patients with clinical diagnosis of ocular tuberculosis evaluated between July and September 2012, that underwent serum and aqueous humor tap analysis for amplification of the rpoB gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTC) by real time PCR (qPCR).
Results:
Twenty-one patients with clinical diagnosis of presumed uveitis associated to tuberculosis were evaluated. Mean age was 53.8±14.12 years (range 8 to 72 years), 76% were females. Eigthy-nine percent had normal X-ray chest, and 6% bronchitis, 6% infiltrates, 6% pulmonary hemorrhage and 6% chronic inflammatory changes. Mean PPD test was 21.28±20.91 mm (range 5 to 90 mm), of which 89% of the patients had PPD ≥10 mm. Clinical presentations of the uveitis were: diffuse anterior scleritis (26%), panuveitis (26%), anterior granulomatous uveitis (16%), multifocal choroiditis (11%), intermediate uveitis (5%), nodular escleritis (5%), sympathetic ophthalmia (5%) and masquerade syndrome (5%). Nineteen patients were tested for molecular diagnosis in serum and aqueous humor tap; two patients were tested only for aqueous humor tap. The samples were positive to MTC rpoB gene in 52% and 42% of the aqueous humor tap and serum samples, respectively. In seven patients (33%) the MTC rpoB gene was found in both serum and aqueous humor samples.
Conclusions:
Patients with clinical diagnosis of uveitis associated to presumed tuberculosis could be identified using the amplification of MTC rpoB gene by qPCR technique on aqueous humor tap and serum samples.
Keywords: 746 uveitis-clinical/animal model •
496 detection •
427 aqueous