LOW VULNERABILITY OF THE POSTERIOR EYE SEGMENT TO SARS-COV-2 INFECTION: Chorioretinal SARS-CoV-2 Vulnerability.
Retina
; 42(2): 236-243, 2022 02 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1642410
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Retinal manifestations have been described in COVID-19 patients, but it is unknown whether SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent in COVID-19, can directly infect posterior ocular tissues. Here, we investigate SARS-CoV-2 host factor gene expression levels and their distribution across retinal and choroidal cell types.METHODS:
Query of single-cell RNA sequencing data from human retina and choroid.RESULTS:
We find no relevant expression of two key genes involved in SARS-CoV-2 entry, ACE2 and TMPRSS2, in retinal cell types. By contrast, scarce expression levels could be detected in choroidal vascular cells.CONCLUSION:
Given the current understanding of viral host cell entry, these findings suggest a low vulnerability of the posterior eye segment to SARS-CoV-2 with a potential weak spot in the vasculature, which could play a putative causative role in ocular lesions in COVID-19 patients. This may qualify the vasculature of the human posterior eye segment as an in vivo biomarker for life-threatening vascular occlusions in COVID-19 patients.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Serine Endopeptidases
/
Eye Infections, Viral
/
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
/
Virus Internalization
/
Posterior Eye Segment
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Retina
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
IAE.0000000000003320
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