title: Application of the polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence techniques to the detection of bacteria in Yersinia-triggered reactive arthritis.
abstract: Leukocytes in synovial fluid and peripheral blood samples from patients with Yersinia-triggered reactive arthritis were analyzed after DNA amplification using the polymerase chain reaction. The primers applied were specific for the virulence plasmid-coded 1crE genes of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis III. No Yersinia DNA was observed within the synovial fluid cells or peripheral blood cells by polymerase chain reaction techniques. However, Yersinia antigens were detected in the synovial fluid cells by immunofluorescence techniques. These results suggest that only parts of the causative agents, not the entire microbe, can enter the joint and initiate the inflammation that leads to a reactive arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Turku University, Finland.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Viitanen
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Arstila
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lahesmaa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Granfors
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skurnik
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toivanen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D015009:Yersinia Infections
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial