title: Evaluating the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in peripheral blood of patients with diverse forms of uveitis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of Toxoplasmosis gondii in samples of peripheral blood from patients with varying etiologies of uveitis. Whole blood from patients with different forms of uveitis was tested for the presence of T. gondii using real-time PCR targeting the well-characterized 529 bp fragment. Extracted DNA was both frozen. Thirty-one patients were included in the current study and grouped as follows: acute toxoplasmosis (n = 10); toxoplasmic retinal scars (n = 9); non-infectious etiologies of uveitis (n = 6); and IgG negative for toxoplasmosis (n = 6). In total, only two patients were shown to have circulating T. gondii in peripheral blood; both of these patients were IgG positive for toxoplasmosis, were receiving immunosuppressive therapy for autoimmune uveitis, and had no clinical features of toxoplasmosis. T. gondii was identified in peripheral blood of some immunosuppressed patients. No other patients, including those with acute toxoplasmosis, had circulating parasites in peripheral blood.
authors.affiliation: The Henry C. Witleson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, 3375 University, Room 216, Montréal, QC, Canada.|Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vision Institute, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 821, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rubens N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Belfort
authors.affiliation: The Henry C. Witleson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, 3375 University, Room 216, Montréal, QC, Canada. chaughten@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isenberg
authors.affiliation: The Henry C. Witleson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, 3375 University, Room 216, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Bruno F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: The Henry C. Witleson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, 3375 University, Room 216, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vision Institute, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 821, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rubens
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Belfort
authors.affiliation: The Henry C. Witleson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, 3375 University, Room 216, Montréal, QC, Canada.|Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vision Institute, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 821, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Miguel N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Burnier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000097:blood*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: PCR; Toxoplasma gondii; Uveitis