Molecular identification of adenoviral conjunctivitis in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was isolation of adenoviruses by cell culture and identification using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and phylogenetic analyses in patients clinically diagnosed with viral conjunctivitis in Ankara, Turkey.


METHODS
Conjunctival swabs from 34 patients with acute conjunctivitis were tested using cell culture isolation and PCR for adenovirus detection. PCR-positive samples were sequenced and typed.


RESULTS
The positive results of adenovirus were 26.5% (9 of 34) by the PCR method and 20.6% by culture isolation. Nine samples positive at PCR were identified by phylogenetic analyses as human adenovirus 8 (HAdV-8) (4 of 9), HAdV-3 (3 of 9), HAdV-4 (1 of 9), and HAdV-B (1 of 9).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed types of adenoviruses in patients with ocular infection that occurred in this region of Turkey for the first time. Furthermore, sequence-based typing method is an efficient, accurate, and rapid means of diagnosis and typing of the adenovirus and has significant clinical and epidemiologic implications. HAdV-8 was major type for acute conjunctivitis in Ankara, Turkey. Further studies are required to reveal the major types of HAdVs that cause ocular diseases in this region of the world.
Yağci
Ramazan
R
Fatih University, Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara, Turkey. ramazanyagci@yahoo.com
Akçali
Alper
A
Yağci
Server
S
Konno
Tsunetada
T
Ishiko
Hiroaki
H
Duman
Sunay
S
Ozkaya
Etem
E
D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000821:virology*; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D004279:DNA, Viral