Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in the Human Eye. (2nd January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kamalipour, Alireza; Ashraf, Mohammad Ali; Moghimi, Sasan; Moattari, Afagh; Ashraf, Mohammad Javad; Abbasi, Farhad; Azodi, Farzan; Oboudi, Shadi; Pirbonyeh, Neda; Mokhtaryan, Maryam; Roshanshad, Amirhossein; Do, Jiun L.; Weinreb, Robert N.
• Is Part Of: Ocular immunology and inflammation. Volume 31:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 32
• Page End: 38
• Publication Date: 2023-01-02
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- RT-PCR -- SARS-CoV-2 -- autopsy -- conjunctiva -- aqueous humor -- vitreous humor; Eye -- Diseases -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Eye -- Inflammation -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2021.1980810
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0927-3948

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Purpose: To determine the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in postmortem ocular specimens of patients with severe COVID-19 disease. Patients and methods: Postmortem conjunctival (28 samples), aqueous humor (30 samples) and vitreous humor (30 samples) specimens were obtained bilaterally from the eyes of 15 deceased COVID-19 patients within one hour of death. The presence of viral RNA was evaluated in samples using Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Positive RT-PCR SARS-COV-2 results were found in one conjunctival and 2 vitreous humor samples. All aqueous humor samples tested negative for the presence of SARS-COV-2 RNA. Of note, three positive samples were obtained from three different patients. The overall prevalence of positive RT-PCR ocular samples was 3.4% among all samples and 20% at the patient level. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detectable in postmortem conjunctival and vitreous humor samples of patients with severe COVID-19.