tetracycline and Retinitis

Members of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) family are good candidates for the treatment of ocular diseases because of their relative lack of pathogenicity. We studied the effect of intraocular injection of AAV2-viral IL-10 (vIL-10) on retinal S-antigen-induced experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) in Lewis rats. We demonstrated that AAV2/2-GFP injected into the vitreous body transduced the iris and ciliary body, or anterior uvea, and the retina. We showed that intravitreal injection of the AAV2/2-tetON-vIL-10 construct achieved detectable levels of vIL-10 mRNA and protein within the eye and was effective in protecting the rat retina against destruction. This protection was dependent on the level of vIL-10 present in the aqueous humor/ vitreous body. Intravitreal injection of the same construct encased within an AAV5 shell, AAV2/5-tetONvIL- 10, did not confer any degree of protection. It appeared that the AAV2/5 vectors did not transduce the anterior uvea, the site at which inflammatory cells first localize in EAU, nor the ganglion cell layer; induced low expression of vIL-10 mRNA; and did not achieve detectable levels of transgene expression in the aqueous humor/vitreous body. Local treatment with AAV2/2-tetON-vIL-10 did not dampen the systemic immune response, as determined by S-antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation. Our results show that local intravitreal injection of AAV2/2 is an effective means by which to deliver immunoregulatory molecules into the eye during uveitis, a chronic human ocular disease.

Topics: Animals; Aqueous Humor; Arrestin; Autoimmune Diseases; Cell Proliferation; Dependovirus; Disease Models, Animal; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Therapy; Genetic Vectors; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Humans; Interleukin-10; Lymphocytes; Male; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Retina; Retinitis; Tetracycline; Uveitis

We report a patient with neuroretinitis, whose associated lymphadenopathy, exposure to cats, and strongly positive cat scratch antigen skin tests suggested the diagnosis of cat scratch disease. Cat scratch disease should be added to the list of infectious agents believed to produce the clinical picture of neuroretinitis.

Topics: Adult; Cat-Scratch Disease; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Fundus Oculi; Humans; Optic Disk; Prednisone; Retinitis; Skin Tests; Tetracycline; Visual Acuity

Four patients (three men, 32, 43, and 53 years old, and one 37-year-old woman) with syphilitic neuroretinitis had cerebrospinal fluid evidence of neurosyphilis. Therapy failed in one patient given penicillin G benzathine intramuscularly and it may have failed in a second patient. Another treatment failure occurred in a patient given tetracycline orally. Intramuscular penicillin G benzathine or intramuscular penicillin G procaine in doses of less than 2.4 million units/day does not produce spirocheticidal drug levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. All four patients improved after high-dose treatment with aqueous penicillin G.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Male; Middle Aged; Neurosyphilis; Penicillin G Benzathine; Retinitis; Syphilis, Latent; Tetracycline; Visual Acuity

Three cases of Rift Valley fever retinitis and one case of Tick Bite fever retinitis are presented. The clinical features are indistinguishable, manifesting as localised areas of retinal ischaemia and soft exudate formation. Fluorescein angiography shows that there is primary involvement of the retinal circulation without involvement of the choroidal circulation. Vascular occlusion is a feature of the retinal pathology. These patients were treated with steroids and immunosuppressives as their maculae were threatened and they all regained normal to near normal vision except in one case in whom old macula scarring from previous episodes of the disease prevented visual improvement.

Topics: Angiography; Animals; Azathioprine; Fluoresceins; Humans; Mydriatics; Prednisolone; Retinal Vessels; Retinitis; Rickettsia Infections; Rift Valley Fever; Steroids; Tetracycline; Visual Fields