title: Detection of ocular Toxoplasma gondii infection in chronic irregular recurrent uveitis by PCR.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite resulting in human infections and one of the infectious pathogens leading to uveitis and retinochoroiditis. The present study was performed to assess T. gondii infection in 20 ocular patients with chronic irregular recurrent uveitis (20 aqueous humor and 20 peripheral blood samples) using PCR. All samples were analyzed by nested PCR targeting a specific B1 gene of T. gondii. The PCR-positive rate was 25% (5/20), including 5% (1) in blood samples, 25% (5) in aqueous humor samples, and 5% (1) in both sample types. A molecular screening test for T. gondii infection in ocular patients with common clinical findings of an unclear retinal margin and an inflammatory membrane over the retina, as seen by fundus examination, may be helpful for early diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Malaria and Parasitic Diseases, Korea National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Seong-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Oh Woong
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Sun Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Sung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Shin-Hyeong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Won-Ja
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000469:parasitology; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012008:Recurrence; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000469:parasitology*