Br J Ophthalmol 2001;85:552-555
( May )
Scientific correspondence
Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA
in urine of patients with ocular Lyme borreliosis
Uwe Pleyera, Susanne Priemb, Lars Bergmanna, Gerd Burmesterb, Christian Hartmanna, Andreas Krauseb
a Department of
Ophthalmology, Charité, Humboldt University, Campus Virchow Hospital,
Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany, b Department
of Medicine, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité, Humboldt
University, Campus Charité Mitte, Schumannstrasse 20/21, D-10098
Berlin
Correspondence to: Dr Uwe Pleyer
uwe.pleyer{at}charite.de
Accepted for publication 13 December 2000
AIM
To evaluate the
diagnostic value of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect
Borrelia
burgdorferi DNA in patients with ocular Lyme borreliosis.
METHODSOf 256 consecutive uveitis patients six selected individuals with clinical
evidence for Lyme borreliosis and 30 patients with non-Lyme uveitis
were enrolled. Lyme serology was performed by ELISA and western
blotting. Urine samples were examined by an optimised nested polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) protocol.
RESULTSOnly four of
six uveitis patients suspected for Lyme borreliosis were ELISA
positive, while all six subjects showed a positive western blot.
B burgdorferi PCR was positive in all of
these six patients. Whereas two of the 30 controls had a positive Lyme
serology, B burgdorferi DNA was not
detectable by PCR in any sample from these patients.
CONCLUSIONSPCR for
the detection of B burgdorferi DNA in urine
of uveitis patients is a valuable tool to support the diagnosis of
ocular Lyme borreliosis. Moreover, these patients often show a weak
humoral immune response which may more sensitively be detected by immunoblotting.
© 2001 by British Journal of Ophthalmology
