YERSINIA-TRIGGERED REACTIVE ARTHRITIS - USE OF POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AND IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STAINING IN THE DETECTION OF BACTERIAL COMPONENTS FROM SYNOVIAL SPECIMENS

Objective. To investigate whether microbial DNA is present in synovial specimens from patients with Yersinia-triggered reactive arthritis. Methods. Synovial specimens from 13 patients with Yersinia enterocolitica O:3-triggered reactive arthritis and from 16 control patients were studied using polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemical staining techniques. Results. Yersinia chromosomal DNA was not found in any of the synovial specimens from Yersinia-triggered arthritis patients or controls, whereas with immunocytochemical techniques, Yersinia antigens were observed in synovial specimens from all of the patients with Yersinia-triggered reactive arthritis. Conclusion. Only stable bacterial degradation products, not whole bacteria, are present at the site of inflammation in Yersinia-triggered reactive arthritis.