Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in so-called Eales' disease

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2012 Jun;20(3):153-7. doi: 10.3109/09273948.2012.658134. Epub 2012 Apr 9.

Abstract

Purpose: To report mycobacterial load in the vitreous of patients labeled as having Eales' disease.

Methods: Eighty-eight patients were prospectively enrolled into 3 groups: 28 patients with so-called Eales' disease (group A); 30 positive controls with specific uveitis syndromes (group B), and 30 negative controls (group C). The undiluted vitreous humor samples were collected and subjected to real-time PCR assay for MPB64 gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and load quantified.

Results: Sixteen (57.14%) vitreous fluid samples in group A; 1 sample in group B, and none of the samples in group C were positive for MTB genome from the vitreous. The copies of MTB genomes in the positive samples in group A were 1.52 × 10(4) to 1.01 × 10(6).

Conclusion: MTB genome was demonstrated in more than 50% of vitreous fluid samples with significant bacillary load, indicating that half of patients with so-called Eales' disease are indeed cases of tubercular vasculitis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / diagnosis
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / microbiology*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Retinal Vasculitis / diagnosis
  • Retinal Vasculitis / microbiology*
  • Tuberculosis, Ocular / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis, Ocular / microbiology
  • Uveitis / microbiology
  • Vitreous Body / microbiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial

Supplementary concepts

  • Eales disease