Specific detection and semiquantitation of microorganisms in tissue by nucleic acid hybridization. II. Investigation of synovia from pigs with chronic erysipelothrix arthritis

Abstract

Synovial tissues from animals with chronic Erysipelothrix arthritis were examined by a technique based on RNA-DNA hybridization in an attempt to detect the inducing organism, Erysipelothrix insidiosa (EI). Twelve synovial specimens from 5 animals whose joints lacked culturable EI also lacked EI detectable by this technique. Because the technique is capable of detecting approximately one organism per 50 mammalian cells, it is comcluded that no more than this number were present in the involved tissue. Implications of these results for proposed pathogenetic mechanisms in this disorder and in human rheumatoid arthritis are discussed.In its chronic stage porcine Erysipelothrix arritis shares many features with human rheumatoid arthritis (1). The most notable difference is that a known bacterium, Erysipelothrix insidiosa (EI), is required to induce the animal disorder. But, as with rheumatoid

Broad-range bacterial polymerase chain reaction for identification of bacteria in inflamed joints: comment on the article by Wilbrink et al

“…They are derived from those used in our original proposal of the broad-range bacterial PCR strategy (3), which were subsequently applied, in conjunction with that strategy, by Relman et al in their well-known studle4 of Whipple's disease ( 4 3 . The strategy was based on our much earlier proposal that bacterial nuclcic acids be used as probes for detecting bacteria in putatively infected clinical specimens (6).…”

Domain-Directed Polymerase Chain Reaction Capable of Distinguishing Bacterial from Host DNA at the Single-Cell Level: Characterization of a Systematic Method to Investigate Putative Bacterial Infection in Idiopathic Disease

“…bacteria in infected tissue, we used probes enzymatically copied from purified bacterial DNA (4,5). Not First, reactivity with all potential prokaryotic pathogens would have to be predictable; and, second, sensisurprisingly, at least in retrospect, these proved to be highly species-specific.…”