ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine infectious causes in patients with uveitis of unknown origin by intraocular fluids analysis. DESIGN: Case-control study. METHODS: Ocular fluids from 139 patients suspected of infectious uveitis, but negative for herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, and Toxoplasma gondii by polymerase chain reaction and/or antibody analysis in intraocular fluids, were assessed for the presence of 18 viruses and 3 bacteria by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ocular fluids from 48 patients with uveitis of known etiology or with cataract were included as controls. RESULTS: Positive PCR results were found for Epstein-Barr virus, for rubella virus, and for human herpesvirus 6 each in 1 patient and for human parechovirus in 4 patients. Of the human parechovirus-positive patients, 1 was immunocompromised and had panuveitis. The other 3 patients were immunocompetent and had anterior uveitis, all with corneal involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Human parechovirus might be associated with infectious (kerato)uveitis.
Subject(s)
Aqueous Humor/virology , Eye Infections, Viral/virology , Herpesvirus 4, Human/isolation & purification , Herpesvirus 6, Human/isolation & purification , Parechovirus/isolation & purification , Rubella virus/isolation & purification , Uveitis, Anterior/virology , Adult , Aged , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Case-Control Studies , DNA Primers/chemistry , DNA, Viral/analysis , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/diagnosis , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/virology , Eye Infections, Viral/diagnosis , Female , Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect , Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics , Herpesvirus 6, Human/genetics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Parechovirus/genetics , Picornaviridae Infections/diagnosis , Picornaviridae Infections/virology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Retrospective Studies , Roseolovirus Infections/diagnosis , Roseolovirus Infections/virology , Rubella/diagnosis , Rubella/virology , Rubella virus/geneticsABSTRACT
Safety assessment of chemicals and drugs is an important regulatory issue. The evaluation of potential adverse effects of compounds on the immune system depends today on animal experiments. An increasing demand, however, exists for in vitro alternatives. Cytokine measurement is a promising tool to evaluate chemical exposure effects on the immune system. Fortunately, this type of measurement can be performed in conjunction with in vitro exposure models. We have taken these considerations as the starting point to develop an in vitro method to efficiently screen compounds for potential immunotoxicity. The T-cell lymphoma cell line EL-4 was transfected with the regulatory sequences of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-gamma or actin fused to the gene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in either a stabile or a destabilised form. Consequently, changes in fluorescence intensity represent changes in cytokine expression with one cell line per cytokine. We used this prototype "Cell Chip" to test, by means of flow cytometry, the immunomodulatory potential of 13 substances and were able to detect changes in cytokine expression in 12 cases (successful for cyclosporine, rapamycin, pentamidine, thalidomide, bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide, house dust mite allergen (Der p I), 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, benzocaine, tolylene 2,4-diisocyanate, potassium tetrachloroplatinate, sodium dodecyl sulphate and mercuric chloride; unsuccessful for penicillin G). In conclusion, this approach seems promising for in vitro screening for potential immunotoxicity, especially when additional cell lines besides T-cells are included.