[Serologic survey on arbovirus infections in patients presenting with uveitis]

Viruses have been demonstrated or suspected as the causative agents of various types of uveitis. Some arboviruses can be responsible for ocular manifestations. In Brittany, both serosurveys and virus isolations were positive for arboviruses. These results led us to look for the possible role of arboviruses in the aetiology of uveitis. For this, we performed a serosurvey on 131 patients with uveitis of unknown aetiology. Patients were examined in the Ophthalmologic Department of the Brest University Hospital from May 1979 to May 1983. Serum samples were studied: by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests against thirteen antigens; by complement fixation (CF) tests against six antigens. The HI and CF tests were performed using micromethods. HI tests revealed antibodies against one or more flaviviruses antigens in thirteen patients: nine monospecific reactions against Yellow Fever virus (as a consequence of a vaccination) and four reactions against several flaviviruses. The four positive reactions are easily explainable by previous trips in countries where several arboviruses are endemic. By CF test we found antibodies at a low titer in two patients: the first one had antibodies against the Zaliv Terpeniya virus and the second against the Avalon virus. Signification of these results is discussed. Our study shows that in Brittany uveitis of unknown aetiology do not seem to be due to arboviruses, at least those tested in this survey or antigenically related.