Evaluation ofspecies as a cause of endogenous uveitis in cats: a pilot study.

Abstract

ObjectivesAlthoughspecies infections can be associated with intraocular inflammation in dogs and horses, there is limited information regarding the role these agents play in feline uveitis. The primary objective of this study was to report the prevalence of antibodies tospecies and the presence ofspecies DNA in samples from cats with endogenous uveitis. The secondary objective was to assess for coinfections withspecies,and eubacteria.MethodsSerum and aqueous humor (AH) samples from 37 cats diagnosed with endogenous uveitis that had been stored at -80°C were selected for this study based on sample availability. PCR assays forspecies,,species and 16S eubacterial rDNA were performed on AH. Sera were evaluated for antibodies tospecies (microscopic agglutination test [MAT]),species (IgG ELISA) and(IgM and IgG ELISA).ResultsAlthough sera from 2/37 (5.4%) cats were positive for antibodies toserovar Pomona by MAT (1:100 titers), all AH samples were negative for DNA ofspecies. One AH sample was positive for DNA of aspecies but all were negative for DNA ofandspecies. Serum antibodies tospecies (21/37, 56.8%),(7/37, 18.9%) or multiple agents (5/37, 13.5%) were common.Conclusions and relevanceAlthough the results of this study cannot be used to prove or refutespecies as a cause of endogenous uveitis in cats, the detection of specific antibodies toPomona in the sera of two cats suggests that a larger cohort of cats should be tested to further evaluate the hypothesis. The AH of one cat was positive for the DNA of aspecies and future studies should investigate if post-streptococcal uveitis syndrome can also be found in cats.