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Confirmation of Confocal Microscopy Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis Using Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Confirmation of Confocal Microscopy Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis Using Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis

William D Mathers, Scott E Nelson, James L Lane, Mary E Wilson, Richard C Allen and Robert Folberg
Archives of ophthalmology (1960), Vol.118(2), pp.178-183
02/01/2000
DOI: 10.1001/archopht.118.2.178
PMID: 10676782
url
https://doi.org/10.1001/archopht.118.2.178View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

BACKGROUND Acanthamoeba keratitis has commonly been identified with in vivo confocal microscopy and confirmed with histologic examination of an epithelial biopsy specimen. OBJECTIVE To determine if Acanthamoeba keratitis can be verified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of epithelial biopsy specimens. METHODS Epithelial specimens from patients with suspected Acanthamoeba keratitis by confocal microscopy were tested for Acanthamoeba with PCR of Acanthamoeba ribosomal DNA. RESULTS Twenty-four of 31 patients with evidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis were positive for Acanthamoeba on PCR analysis using 3 sets of primers. In 22 cases, the sequence obtained closely matched Acanthamoeba castellanii. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that PCR analysis of epithelial biopsy specimens can provide definitive verification of the confocal microscopic and histologic identification of Acanthamoeba organisms associated with keratitis. Acanthamoeba keratitis is probably quite common, especially in contact lens wearers, although more than half of the patients in this study did not wear contact lenses.Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118:178-183-->

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