Use of a nested polymerase chain reaction system for diagnosis of ocular infectious diseases

Session Details

Session Title: Infections

Session Date/Time: Sunday 23/09/2018 | 16:30-18:00

Paper Time: 16:36

Venue: Room A3, Podium 3

First Author: : S.Saha INDIA

Co Author(s): :    J. Sengupta   A. Khetan                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To measure the genomic DNA of ocular infectious pathogens in ocular fluids and to analyze the clinical relevance of these pathogens in Keratitis, uveitis and endophthalmitis.

Setting:

Tertiary care eye hospital of eastern India

Methods:

A total of 755 patients with infectious keratitis, uveitis and endophthalmitis were examined at Priyamvada Birla Aravind Eye Hospital, Kolkata, between 2014-2017. Genomic DNA of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses in collected ocular samples were examined by comprehensive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Samples were analyzed by nested PCR method.

Results:

Total number of 755 ocular sample were tested. Positive PCR found in 620 cases (82.6%). In all tested infectious keratitis, uveitis and endophthalmitis patients, herpes simplex virus type 1 (n = 183), varicella-zoster virus (n = 21), cytomegalovirus (n = 09), Microsporidia (n = 5), Acanthameoba (n= 5) bacterial (n = 150), fungal (n = 225), P acne (n=19), M tuberculosis (n= 05) genome was detected. Toxoplasma DNA was not detected in any of the samples. 12 cases were found negative for patients clinically suspected of having bacterial endophthalmitis and 10 cases for Fungal.

Conclusions:

Use of our nested PCR assay to examine ocular samples in patients with keratitis, endophthalmitis and uveitis seems to be clinically useful for detecting infectious antigen DNA. Thus, this PCR method is a reliable tool for both diagnosing ocular disorders and further screening of patients for ocular infections.

Financial Disclosure:

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