title: Identification of Toxoplasma gondii in paraffin-embedded sections by the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: We used the polymerase chain reaction to amplify DNA fragments specific to Toxoplasma gondii. The sensitivity of the technique allowed for the detection of as few as ten cultured T. gondii tachyzoites. We applied the same amplification technique to deparaffinized ocular sections from two cases of ocular toxoplasmosis. Although toxoplasmic cysts could only be seen in one eye by optical microscopy, polymerase chain reaction allowed the identification of the parasite in both cases. Our study indicates the feasibility of a sensitive DNA-based assay to complement pathologic studies of an ocular parasitic disease.
authors: Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors: A P
authors: AP
authors: Brézin
authors: C E
authors: CE
authors: Egwuagu
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Burnier
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Silveira
authors: R M
authors: RM
authors: Mahdi
authors: R T
authors: RT
authors: Gazzinelli
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Belfort
authors: R B
authors: RB
authors: Nussenblatt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007499:Iris Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D007500:Iritis / Q000209:etiology; D007634:Keratitis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology