ArticleBMC ophthalmology2025
PCR-based detection of viral and parasitic etiologies in anterior uveitis: a cross-sectional study from Iran.
Article in BMC ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Recurrent unilateral anterior uveitis in an HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis patient: varicella-zoster virus etiology case report.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAnterior uveitis (AU) is a significant cause of visual morbidity, with viral etiologies requiring precise diagnosis for effective management.
methodsThis cross-sectional study evaluated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of aqueous humor in 80 patients with 81 eyes affected by unilateral AU in Isfahan, Iran, from 2015 to 2020. Clinical suspicion was based on unilateral presentation, sectoral iris atrophy, keratic precipitates, ocular hypertension, and poor response to steroids.
resultsPCR identified viral pathogens in 66.7% (54/81) of cases: varicella-zoster virus (VZV, 27/54, 50.0%), herpes simplex virus (HSV, 25/54, 46.3%), and cytomegalovirus (CMV, 2/54, 3.7%). All samples were negative for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Toxoplasma gondii. Multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender, identified iris atrophy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.12; 95% CI, 1.1–4.0; P = .01) and a borderline association with ocular hypertension (aOR, 2.88; 95% CI, 0.9–8.7; P = .06) as predictors of PCR positivity. PCR sensitivity was 72.2%, specificity 77.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) 86.7%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 58.3%. The low NPV suggests PCR cannot reliably rule out viral AU, requiring clinical correlation. Treatment was modified in 24.7% of cases. PCR positivity varied by clinical form: chronic (75%), acute (60%), recurrent (65%) .
conclusionVZV and HSV are primary causes of AU in Iran, with PCR guiding targeted therapy. However, PCR is an adjunct to clinical diagnosis, limited by moderate sensitivity, prior treatment, and small sample size. Iris atrophy and ocular hypertension guide testing, addressing a regional knowledge gap.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.