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Clinicopathological features of a congenital murine model of ocular toxoplasmosis

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Abstract

Sequential clinical examination was carried out upon the eyes of mice that had been infected in utero withToxoplasma gondii. Three patterns of clinical disease were seen. First, crystalliform cataracts, which either remained unchanged in character or occasionally became more extensive, were observed. Second, acute uveitis occurred in a small proportion of eyes, progressing into a chronic inflammatory disease with secondary opaque cataract. The third pattern comprised multiple discrete foci of deep retinal disturbance. It is suggested that these lesions were attributable to focal macrophage clusters in the sub-retinal space with overlying dome-shaped elevations of the photoreceptor matrix. The severity of disease, as assessed clinically, correlated with the underlying histopathology but not with the serological titres againstToxoplasma. Immunocytochemical staining forToxoplasma antigen revealed only intra-retinalToxoplasma cysts, but no free organisms or extracystic antigen were demonstrated. Selective photoreceptor destruction was the most prominent histopathological feature, implicating auto-immune mechanisms of tissue destruction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Glasgow, Western Infirmany, G11 6NT, Glasgow, Scotland

    Gordon N. Dutton & James Ralston

  2. The School of Pharmacy, Leicester Polytechnic, Leicester, England

    John Hay

  3. Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Biology Division, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland

    David M. Hair

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  1. Gordon N. Dutton
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  2. John Hay
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  3. David M. Hair
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  4. James Ralston
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Dutton, G.N., Hay, J., Hair, D.M. et al. Clinicopathological features of a congenital murine model of ocular toxoplasmosis. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 224, 256–264 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02143066

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02143066

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