<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Cuchacovich, Raquel</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Japa, Shankar</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Huang, Wen Qun</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Calvo, Armando</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vega, Luis</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vargas, Ruben Burgos</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Singh, Ranju</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Flores, Diana</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Castro, Ivette</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Espinoza, Luis R</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Detection of bacterial DNA in Latin American patients with reactive arthritis by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The Journal of Rheumatology</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2002</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2002-07-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1426-1429</style></pages><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">29</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">7</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">OBJECTIVE: Bacteria and/or their antigens are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis (ReA). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the 16S ribosomal RNA-PCR method was used to identify bacterial DNA in synovial fluid (SF) and tissue (ST) in a well defined group of patients with chronic ReA. In addition, species found were identified by means of sequence analysis. METHODS: We examined 15 ST and 5 SF samples of 15 patients with ReA, 5 ST samples of 5 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and 8 SF from 8 patients with closed traumatic knee injuries using a nested PCR with universal 16S rRNA primers. In addition, a nested PCR was developed to detect DNA sequences of Salmonella sp. and Mycoplasma sp. Automated sequencing and comparative data analysis (GenBank) were also performed to identify the species. RESULTS: Bacterial DNA was identified in 8 cases, 5 ST and 3 SF; Chlamydia trachomatis (n = 2), Pseudomonas sp. (n = 3), and Bacillus cereus (n = 2) were the most common microorganisms identified. A variety of microorganisms including Clostridium sp., Lactobacillus sp., Pseudomonas migulae, P. fluorescens, and P. putida, and Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B were also identified. In half of the cases (4/8) 2 to 3 bacterial antigens were identified simultaneously. CONCLUSION: Bacterial DNA is present in the joints in patients with chronic ReA. A wide spectrum of bacteria including some not previously associated with ReA were identified. Further studies are needed to establish their exact role in the pathogenesis of ReA and related arthritides.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>