Koch's stulates and experimental ocular histoplasmosis. 1975

V G Wong, and K J Kwon-Chung, and W B Hill

The present study shows clearly that focal choroiditis is produced in rabbits by infecting the animals with a mycelial form of H. capsulatum. Identification of this organism as the pathogenic agent was made by histopathological and mycological observations. This fungus was recovered from infected ocular lesions in those eyes enucleated within four weeks following the appearance of uveitus-a time period consistent with the clinical and pathological appearance of multiple granulomas in the choroid. The absence of organisms in the contralateral eyes of these same animals at eight weeks suggests perhaps that recovery was associated with the emergence of immunity by two months following the appearance of uveitus. This is supported in part by our previous study, which supplied evidence that animals were protected from further uveitis on subsequent reinfections (after they had recovered from their initial infection) by a mycelial or yeast form of the fungus. Similar protection was also seen in animals that had prior exposures to heat-killed organisms. Moreover, onset of the ocular changes occurred usually two weeks after infection. This evidence strongly suggests that the experimental choroiditis may be immunologically induced. H. capsulatum recovered from infected eyes (Groups I and II) produced identical ocular lesions clinically and histopathologically when injected into normal animals (Groups IA and IIA). Fulfillment of Koch's postulates in experimental ocular histoplasmosis was achieved within only one month following the appearance of uveitis. This may be of fundamental importance in that efforts to demonstrate a causal relationship between the ocular picture and benign systemic histoplasmosis have been unsuccessful in man. Because of the striking similarity between the experimental choroiditis in rabbits and the changes observed in presumed ocular histoplasmosis in man, studies in primates are necessary. Since the ocular anatomy is similar in monkeys and in man, there remains the necessity to reproduce the hemorrhagic disciform lesion of the macula, which represents the gravest aspect of presumed ocular histoplasmosis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011817 Rabbits A burrowing plant-eating mammal with hind limbs that are longer than its fore limbs. It belongs to the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, and in contrast to hares, possesses 22 instead of 24 pairs of chromosomes. Belgian Hare,New Zealand Rabbit,New Zealand Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbit,Rabbit,Rabbit, Domestic,Chinchilla Rabbits,NZW Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,Chinchilla Rabbit,Domestic Rabbit,Domestic Rabbits,Hare, Belgian,NZW Rabbit,Rabbit, Chinchilla,Rabbit, NZW,Rabbit, New Zealand,Rabbits, Chinchilla,Rabbits, Domestic,Rabbits, NZW,Rabbits, New Zealand,Zealand Rabbit, New,Zealand Rabbits, New,cuniculus, Oryctolagus
D002833 Choroiditis Inflammation of the choroid. Choroiditides
D004195 Disease Models, Animal Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases. Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D005128 Eye Diseases Diseases affecting the eye. Eye Disorders,Eye Disease,Eye Disorder
D006658 Histoplasma A mitosporic Onygenales fungal genus causing HISTOPLASMOSIS in humans and animals. Its single species is Histoplasma capsulatum which has two varieties: H. capsulatum var. capsulatum and H. capsulatum var. duboisii. Its teleomorph is AJELLOMYCES capsulatus. Ajellomyces capsulatus,Cryptococcus capsulatus,Emmonsiella capsulata,Histoplasma capsulatum,Histoplasmas
D006660 Histoplasmosis Infection resulting from exposure to the fungus HISTOPLASMA. African Histoplasmosis,Disseminated Histoplasmosis,Histoplasma duboisii Infection,Pulmonary Histoplasmosis,Histoplasma Infection,Histoplasma capsulatum Infection,Histoplasma Infections,Histoplasma capsulatum Infections,Histoplasma duboisii Infections,Histoplasmosis, African,Histoplasmosis, Disseminated,Histoplasmosis, Pulmonary,Infection, Histoplasma,Infection, Histoplasma capsulatum,Infection, Histoplasma duboisii
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013172 Spores, Fungal Reproductive bodies produced by fungi. Conidia,Fungal Spores,Conidium,Fungal Spore,Spore, Fungal
D014605 Uveitis Inflammation of part or all of the uvea, the middle (vascular) tunic of the eye, and commonly involving the other tunics (sclera and cornea, and the retina). (Dorland, 27th ed) Uveitides

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