| Presentation preference | Poster presentation |
| Title | LOW-VOLUME MULTIPLEX PCR FOR ETIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTIOUS UVEITIS |
| Purpose | To analyse the usefulness of low-volume direct multiplex PCR of intraocular fluid for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis. |
| Methods | Samples (aqueous humor, n=33; vitreous humor, n=2) from 35 patients with active uveitis (≥2+ cells in anterior chamber (AC)) (July,21 to Sept,22). 20µl of sample was analysed using a direct multiplex qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (Nihon Techno Service Co, Japan, for research purpose) including herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2; varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human T-lymphotropic virus, Treponema pallidum and Toxoplasma gondii). |
| Results | Uveitis were anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis in 16 (45.7%), 1 (2.8%), 15 (42.8%) and 3 (8.7%) patients, respectively. Overall positivity was 25.7% (9/35 samples); among acute uveitis was 34.8% (8/23 samples); among infectious uveitis (clinical diagnosis) was 39.1% (9/23 samples). Herpes virus was detected in 4 samples: 2 for HHV6 (anterior uveitis), 1 for HSV2 (acute retinal necrosis) and 1 for EBV (neuroretinitis); T. gondii was detected in 4 samples (chorioretinitis) and T. pallidum in another sample (diffuse uveitis). The strip PCR changed the etiological diagnosis in two cases (5.7%; herpetic uveitis or syphilis to toxoplasmosis) and showed a unexpected herpesvirus as causative agent in another two cases. All 12 non-infectious uveitis samples were negative. |
| Conclusion | For uveitis etiological diagnosis, direct strip PCR was able to demonstrate the infectious agent in one third of our sample with the unique characteristics of using very small sample volume, of testing for multiple pathogens all together and for a rapid results. |
| Conflict of interest | No |
Authors 1
| Last name | YAMAMOTO |
| Initials of first name(s) | JH |
| Department | Ophthalmology, LIM 33, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
Authors 2
| Last name | Ferracioli-Oda |
| Initials of first name(s) | E |
| Department | Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
Authors 3
| Last name | Gouveia |
| Initials of first name(s) | MGS |
| Department | Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology Laboratory, LIM 07, FMUSP |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
Authors 4
| Last name | Pinho |
| Initials of first name(s) | JR |
| Department | Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology Laboratory, LIM 07, FMUSP |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
Authors 5
| Last name | Tanaka |
| Initials of first name(s) | T |
| Department | Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
Authors 6
| Last name | Coelho |
| Initials of first name(s) | V |
| Department | Laboratory of Immunology, Heart Institute, FMUSP |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
Authors 7
| Last name | Bispo |
| Initials of first name(s) | PJ |
| Department | Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School |
| City | Boston |
| Country | United States |
Authors 8
| Last name | Hirata |
| Initials of first name(s) | CE |
| Department | Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo |
| City | Sao Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
