title: Polymerase chain reaction for the detection of the varicella-zoster genome in ocular samples from patients with acute retinal necrosis.
abstract: We used the polymerase chain reaction to detect the virus genome in ocular samples from patients with clinically diagnosed acute retinal necrosis. Four samples from four patients with acute retinal necrosis, and five samples from three patients with other ocular diseases (sarcoidosis, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and epiretinal membrane of unknown origin) were evaluated. The samples consisted of aqueous humor, vitreous, or subretinal fluid. Primers were specific for varicella-zoster virus, herpes simplex virus, or cytomegalovirus. The varicella-zoster virus genome was detected in three of the four samples from patients with acute retinal necrosis. Among these three positive samples, two had PstI-site-less point mutation, strains that have been described only in Japan and of low prevalence. Samples from patients with diagnoses other than acute retinal necrosis yielded negative results when varicella-zoster virus primer was used. No sample was positive for herpes simplex virus or cytomegalovirus primers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanashiro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015882:Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral