PCR with the aqueous humor, blood leukocytes and vitreous of patients affected by cytomegalovirus retinitis and immune recovery uveitis.
OBJECTIVE
To detect the cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome by PCR in the aqueous humor, blood leukocytes and vitreous of patients affected by retinitis and immune recovery uveitis (IRU).


METHODS
A PCR for CMV genome detection was carried out with the aqueous humor, vitreous and blood leukocytes of 54 patients with retinitis, including 25 HIV-infected patients presenting CMV retinitis in different stages (active lesion 6 cases, healed lesion 14 cases and IRU 5 cases), and 29 non-HIV-infected patients (retinitis unrelated to CMV) as negative controls.


RESULTS
The CMV genome was detected in the vitreous, aqueous humor and blood leukocytes of 3 out of 6 HIV-infected patients, presenting active lesions in the retina. No CMV genome was detected in the vitreous, aqueous humor and blood leukocytes of the 5 HIV-infected patients presenting IRU.


CONCLUSIONS
CMV genome detection by PCR in aqueous humor could be used as a specific and highly predictive technique for confirmation of this infection in the retina. The absence of CMV, based on the results of PCR done in clinical samples of the 5 IRU cases, does not confirm the hypothesis of a viral replication in the vitreous body and aqueous humor of these patients.
Siqueira
Rubens Camargo
RC
Department of Ophthalmology, São Paulo University, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. cerv@unorpnet.com.br
Cunha
Aldo
A
Oréfice
Fernando
F
Campos
Wesley Ribeiro
WR
Figueiredo
Luiz Tadeu M
LT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000821:virology*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014605:Uveitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000821:virology*