RESUMO
AIM: To investigate the possible association between TNF-alpha (-308G/A) polymorphism and toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (TR) in humans. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed which included 100 Brazilian patients with diagnosis of TR and 100 matched control subjects with positive serology to toxoplasmosis and no sign of uveitis. Genomic DNA was obtained from oral swabs of all subjects and amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers flanking the locus -308 of TNF-alpha. PCR products were submitted to restriction endonuclease digestion and analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to distinguish alleles, allowing the determination of the genotypes. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the genotype (chi(2) = 0.79, p = 0.67), allele (chi(2) = 0.095, p = 0.75) and allele carriage (chi(2) = 0.70, p = 0.40) frequencies in TR patients compared with control subjects. Frequencies of the genotype (chi(2) = 2.05, p = 0.35) and allele (chi(2) = 0.13, p = 0.71) did not differ significantly between TR patients with and without recurrent episodes. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to investigate the association between TNF-alpha polymorphism and the occurrence of TR in humans. TNF-alpha gene polymorphism (-308G/A) does not seem to be associated with the occurrence or recurrence of TR.
Assuntos
Coriorretinite/genética , Polimorfismo Genético , Toxoplasmose Ocular/genética , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/genética , Adulto , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Coriorretinite/parasitologia , Coriorretinite/fisiopatologia , Estudos Transversais , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida/métodos , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Toxoplasmose Ocular/fisiopatologia , Acuidade VisualRESUMO
In this study, 997 leprosy patients were examined, 528 of them with lepromatous leprosy (53%), 199 with borderline leprosy (20%), 167 with tuberculoid leprosy (16%) and 103 (10.3%) with indeterminate leprosy. Changes in the ocular bulb were noted in 314 patients (31.5%) specially in those with lepromatous leprosy. These alterations were greater with increasing age of the patient and length of disease. Severe ocular lesions were rare, probably due to previous systemic treatment. The "pearls" in the fundus of the eye resulting from leprosy were also studied.
Assuntos
Oftalmopatias/epidemiologia , Oftalmopatias/etiologia , Hanseníase/complicações , Hanseníase/epidemiologia , Transtornos da Visão/epidemiologia , Transtornos da Visão/etiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Oftalmológico , Olho/patologia , Oftalmopatias/diagnóstico , Oftalmopatias/patologia , Oftalmopatias/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Transtornos da Visão/diagnóstico , Transtornos da Visão/patologia , Transtornos da Visão/terapia , Acuidade VisualRESUMO
The technique of superior tarsal conjunctiva scrape was used for identifying M.leprae in the conjunctiva in 56 leprosy patients (all of them multibacillary, some untreated and others treated with multidrug therapy). The technique of tarsal conjunctiva scrape was shown to be more suitable than conjunctival biopsy for identifying lepra bacilli. This technique is also easier to perform and has shown a statistical relation between bacilloscopical index of skin (BIsk) and bacilloscopical index of tarsal conjunctiva (BIconj) values. Thus, if the bacilli can be identified at tarsal conjunctiva we can assume greater systemic bacillary load in the patients.