Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Genome in Subretinal Fluid of Patients with Latent Tuberculosis Infection.

PURPOSE: To test our hypothesis that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA may be present in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in individuals with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection.

METHODS: A total of 100 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (without any signs of endogenous uveitis in either eye) underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal tamponade. All were subjected to tuberculin skin test. None had manifest systemic TB disease. The subretinal fluid collected during surgery was subjected to multitargeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting three genes of MTB (IS6110, MPB64 and protein b).

RESULTS: In total, 16 patients had latent TB, of which TB PCR was positive in six patients.

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate presence of MTB genome in the subretinal fluid containing RPE cells from individuals with latent TB infection, who did not have any evidence of intraocular TB or manifest systemic TB disease, and suggest that MTB can be sequestrated in the RPE cells in latent TB.