Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory eye disease. Parasitization of ocular leukocytes by mollicute-like organisms.
Patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) commonly develop serious eye disease, particularly chronic uveitis. Most chronic uveitis is idiopathic. Mollicute-like organisms (MLO) were recently reported to be a common cause of chronic uveitis. MLO are pathogenic intracellular cell wall deficient bacteria. No culture system exists for MLO. Disease diagnosis is based on detection using a transmission electron microscope. Uveitis producing MLO are detectable within parasitized intraocular leukocytes. They appear as intracytoskeletal 0.005-0.01 micron diameter filaments and undulating pleomorphic 0.01-1.0 micron tubulospherical bodies. This report describes MLO parasitized lesional leukocytes in the inflammatory eye disease of 5 patients with JRA. Our results indicate that MLO caused the uveitis of these patients. The significance of these findings and rifampin treatment of MLO disease are discussed.
Wirostko
E
E
Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY 10032.
Johnson
L
L
Wirostko
W
W
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000382:microbiology; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015863:Iridocyclitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012590:Sclera / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015829:Uveitis, Suppurative / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure