Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory eye disease. Parasitization of ocular leukocytes by mollicute-like organisms. J Rheumatol 1989 Nov;16(11):1446-53
Date
11/01/1989Pubmed ID
2600945Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0024825997 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 10 CitationsAbstract
Patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) commonly develop serious eye disease, particularly chronic uveitis. Most chronic uveitis is idiopathic. Mollicute-like organisms (MLO) were recently reported to be a common cause of chronic uveitis. MLO are pathogenic intracellular cell wall deficient bacteria. No culture system exists for MLO. Disease diagnosis is based on detection using a transmission electron microscope. Uveitis producing MLO are detectable within parasitized intraocular leukocytes. They appear as intracytoskeletal 0.005-0.01 micron diameter filaments and undulating pleomorphic 0.01-1.0 micron tubulospherical bodies. This report describes MLO parasitized lesional leukocytes in the inflammatory eye disease of 5 patients with JRA. Our results indicate that MLO caused the uveitis of these patients. The significance of these findings and rifampin treatment of MLO disease are discussed.
Author List
Wirostko E, Johnson L, Wirostko WAuthor
William Wirostko MD Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Actin CytoskeletonAdolescent
Adult
Aqueous Humor
Arthritis, Juvenile
Child
Eye Infections, Parasitic
Female
Humans
Iridocyclitis
Leukocytes, Mononuclear
Male
Mycoplasma Infections
Neutrophils
Sclera
Uveitis, Suppurative
Vitreous Body
