Fluorescent antibody staining of treponemes in uveitis.

Abstract

Treponemal organisms isolated from the eyes of three patients with uveitis were examined by ordinary dark field and fluorescent dark field microscopy, the latter following incubation with fluorescein-labelled syphilis antibody globulin. In one patient with congenital syphilis and a reactive fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorbed (FTA-ABS) test in his serum, the organisms did not fluoresce. Two other patients, whose serum showed no evidence of syphilis, also had intraocular treponemes. Specific staining of the organisms occurred in one of these patients and not in the other. The technique of the isolation and staining of intraocular treponemes is described, and the interpretation of the results is discussed.