Adenoviral ocular isolates demonstrate serotype-dependent differences in in vitro infectivity titers and clinical...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical ocular adenoviral isolates for differences among and within serotypes with respect to in vitro infectivity titers and clinical course. The study design included a retrospective chart review and the determination of in vitro infectivity titers (TCID90s) of 90 clinical ocular isolates of various adenoviral serotypes. Adenovirus serotype 8 (AD8) was recovered in significantly greater numbers of patients in the second week of infection compared to all other serotypes (p < 0.002). AD3 and AD4 presented with the highest infectivity titers during the first week of acute infection. Up to 4 logs of variation was demonstrated in TCID90s among isolates of the same serotype. Among the clinical parameters studied, eyelid edema was significantly more common among AD8-infected patients as compared to all other serotypes (p < 0.04). For the first time, specific, but limited serotype differences with respect to infectivity titers and clinical course were demonstrated for adenoviral ocular isolates. Important variations in isolate virulence within a given serotype were also observed.