Role of Molecular Diagnostics in Ocular Microbiology

Overview

Journal Curr Ophthalmol Rep

Specialty Ophthalmology

Date 2014 Jan 14

PMID 24416712

Citations 36

Authors

Parisa Taravati

Deborah Lam

Russell N Van Gelder

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Although microbial culture remains the gold standard for diagnosis of many ocular infections, the technique is limited by low yield, inability to detect certain organisms, and potentially long delays to results. DNA-based molecular diagnostic techniques use detection of specific nucleic acid sequences as evidence for presence of suspected pathogens. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a powerful molecular biology technique that allows for detection of fewer than 10 copies of pathogen genome. Recent technical advances in PCR have permitted quantitation of pathogen load using quantitative PCR (qPCR), and have permitted multiplexing of primer sets. Use of pan-bacterial and pan-fungal primers for ribosomal DNA sequences has allowed diagnosis of bacterial and fungal infections using molecular techniques. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the application of PCR to the diagnosis of anterior segment and posterior segment ocular infectious diseases.

Citing Articles

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Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

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Utility of pan-bacterial and pan-fungal PCR in endophthalmitis: case report and review of the literature.

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Infectious Keratitis: Characterization of Microbial Diversity through Species Richness and Shannon Diversity Index.

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