Impacts of Polymerase Chain Reaction confirmed Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 Keratitis on patients attending Ophthalmology Center Mansoura University

Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.

Authors

1 Medical Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt

2 Ophthalmology Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt

Abstract

Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is a significant corneal disease leading to visual impairment, with an estimated 1.8 million cases worldwide annually and over 230,000 new instances of monocular vision impairment reported in 2016, caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), particularly type 1 (HSV-1). HSK has a prolonged course and high recurrence rate, negatively impacting patients' lives and potentially causing blindness if untreated. Our study aimed to determine the proportion of confirmed HSV type 1 from total clinically suspected viral corneal infection at Ophthalmology Center, Mansoura University, and also to recognize associated risk factors that may increase the severity of the infection. We identified 23 positive cases out of 100 patients with suspected viral corneal infection by traditional PCR analysis targeting the DNA polymerase gene of HSV type-1. Our study did not reveal statistically significant associations between the evaluated risk factors and the occurrence or severity of HSK, but we observed a tendency for higher infection rates among specific demographics such as: patients in their fourth and fifth decades of life, males, and individuals residing in rural areas. In addition, univariate regression analysis showed that keratoplasty was the only predictor that had a statistically significant association with any poor outcome and recurrent infection. This study also revealed that corneal ulceration and scarring were the most common complications of HSK, necessitating urgent management to protect against potential vision loss.

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