Thompson PP, Kowalski RP. A 13-year retrospective review of polymerase chain reaction testing for infectious agents from ocular samples.
Ophthalmology 2011;
118:1449-53. [PMID:
21367461 DOI:
10.1016/j.ophtha.2010.12.004]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Revised: 10/28/2010] [Accepted: 12/03/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a molecular technique for the diagnosis of ocular infectious disease. In this large patient sample and multiyear study, the impact of PCR for detecting infectious agents from ocular samples was reviewed in comparison with nonmolecular diagnostic techniques.
DESIGN
A retrospective laboratory review of PCR testing.
PARTICIPANTS
Three thousand fifty-six patient samples with a differential of ocular infection.
METHODS
The daily laboratory logs for diagnostic testing were reviewed for PCR, cell culture isolation, shell vial isolation, and Acanthamoeba isolation from January 1997 through May 2010 for herpes simplex virus (HSV), adenovirus, varicella zoster virus (VZV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Acanthamoeba, and infrequent pathogens of intraocular inflammation.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Incidence of the positive presence of ocular infectious agents.
RESULTS
Polymerase chain reaction results were positive more often than culture results for HSV (P = 0.0001), VZV (P = 0.00001), C. trachomatis (P = 0.00005), and Acanthamoeba (P = 0.04). For adenovirus, cell culture isolation results were positive more often than PCR results (P = 0.001). Polymerase chain reaction was the primary diagnostic test for detecting cytomegalovirus and Toxoplasma.
CONCLUSIONS
The current study demonstrated the importance of PCR as a routine diagnostic test for detecting both common and infrequent ocular pathogens. Cell culture isolation is still a definitive test for adenovirus and a confirmatory test for HSV and Acanthamoeba.
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