97th DOG Annual Meeting 1999
K96
HERPES-VIRUS PCR-DIAGNOSTICS IN AQEOUS HUMOR / CORNEAL STROMA IN PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY
B. Nölle1, T. C. Harder2, J.A. Reichelt1, M. Halberstadt1, P. Rautenberg2
Background: Corneal Herpes is a frequent disease and in typical cases diagnosis is simple. However, unusual cases are possible and they can occur and complicate penetrating keratoplasty. The sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to specimens of aqueous humor (AH) and/or corneal stroma (CS).
Patients and Methods: During penetrating keratoplasty specimens of AH and/or CS were taken in 72 patients. DNA was isolated and tested with nested-PCR. For Herpes simplex type 1+2 (HSV) gB-gene and/or polymerase gene was used; for Varizella zoster (VZV) gB-gene was applied. False negative results due to PCR-inhibitors were ruled out via internal controls. The patients were grouped: [A] typical Herpes-infection, [B] possible Herpes-infection, and [C] no Herpes-infection.
Results:
| |
AH-HSV |
AH-VZV |
CS-HSV |
CS-VZV |
|
Group |
neg./pos |
neg./pos |
neg./pos |
neg./pos |
|
A |
18 / 9 |
13 / 1 |
10 / 5 |
7 / 0 |
|
B |
21 / 2 |
12 / 1 |
10 / 3 |
9 / 1 |
|
C |
30 / 4 |
26 / 0 |
19 / 5 |
18 / 0 |
Conclusion: Herpes-virus could be detected in about 50% of the specimens with typical Herpes, the sensitivity increased in active infections. VZV was only rarely shown. However, in some cases PCR showed HSV or VZV in cases with no or only suspected Herpes. This could be an explanation for those postsurgical inflammatory cases after grafting, which were not understood so far.
1 Univ.-Augenklinik, Hegewischstr. 2, D-24105 Kiel
2 Inst. für Med. Mikrobiologie und Virologie; CAU Kiel
Back