Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in peripheral blood and aqueous humor of patients with Toxoplasmic active focal necrotizing retinochoroiditis using real-time PCR.

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for detectingToxoplasma gondii DNA in the peripheral blood and aqueous humor of patients with toxoplasmic active focal necrotizing retinochoroiditis.

Methods: Fifty-five patients with infectious uveitis seen from 2009 to 2013 at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of the Federal University of São Paulo were enrolled in this study. Forty-three patients had toxoplasmic active focal necrotizing retinochoroiditis, and the remaining 12 had non-toxoplasmic infectious uveitis and served as controls.

Real-time PCR in infectious uveitis as an alternative diagnosis.

Purpose: Uveitis is a major visual impairment disease affecting parts or the entire uveal tract and occasionally the sclera, the cornea or the optic nerve. The disease is a major cause of ocular morbidity and blindness in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. In this work we analyzed the sensitivity and specificity of real-time PCR to detect the etiological agent from blood, plasma, vitreous and aqueous humor and compared with the diagnostic hypothesis.