Study: The cornea appears to resist infection with the novel coronavirus

New findings from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis suggest that the cornea of ​​the eye can resist infection from the new coronavirus. Herpes simplex virus can infect the cornea of ​​patients with a weakened immune system and spread to other parts of the body, while the decavirus has been found in tears and corneal tissue, but SARS-CoV- 2. The virus that causes COVID-19 does not seem to be replicated in the human cornea.

However, researchers have not yet determined whether other tissues in and around the cornea, such as the lacrimal duct and conjunctiva, are vulnerable to the virus.

New findings will be published in the journal on November 3rd Cell reports..

“Our findings do not prove that all corneas are resistant,” said lead author Jonathan J. Minor, MD. “But all the donor corneas we tested were resistant to the new coronavirus. It is possible that some people still have corneas that support the growth of the virus, but we investigated. None of the corneas supported SARS-CoV-2 proliferation. “

Minor, an assistant professor of medicine, molecular microbiology, pathology and immunology, worked with ophthalmologist Dr. Rajendra S. Apte to work with mice exposed to simple herpes, dicavirus, and SARS-CoV-2 virus. I studied human corneum. ..

“Some COVID-19 patients show eye symptoms such as conjunctivitis (pink eye), but it is not clear whether the viral infection itself causes it. It may be associated with secondary inflammation. “There is,” said Apte, a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, Paul A. Sibis, John F. Hardesti. “The cornea and conjunctiva are known to have new coronavirus receptors, but our study found that the virus did not replicate in the cornea.”

Previous studies of human and mouse corneal tissue have shown that Zika virus can shed tears. Researchers wanted to know if the cornea could serve as a gateway to SARS-CoV-2. Apte, Miner and his colleagues tested it by exposing eye tissue to various viruses and observing whether they could grow and replicate. They also identified important substances in the corneal tissue that could promote or inhibit the growth of the virus.

One of the inhibitors they have identified is called interferon lambda. They found that interferon lambda interferes with the efficient growth of Zika virus and herpes simplex virus in the cornea. However, in SARS-CoV-2, substance levels did not affect the ability of the virus to replicate. The existence of interferon lambdas simply did not give a foothold.

This is encouraging for Apte, who is also a professor of developmental biology and medicine, suggesting that COVID-19 may not be infected by corneal transplantation or similar eye procedures.

“Our data suggest that the new coronavirus does not appear to penetrate the cornea,” Apte said.

However, Miner added that it is premature to dismiss the importance of eye protection because of the unknown associated with the lacrimal duct and conjunctiva.

“It’s important to respect the ability of this virus and take appropriate precautions,” he said. “In the general community, you may find that you don’t need an eye cover to prevent infection, but our research is really just the beginning. All of the SARS-CoV-2 infections, including the eyes. Larger clinical studies are needed to better understand the potential pathways of. “

###

Miner, JJ, Platt DJ, Ghaznavi CM, Chandra P, Santeford A, Menos AM, Dong Z, Wang ER, Qian W, Karozichian ES, Phillips JA, Apte RS HSV-1 and Zika virus replicate in the human cornea However, SARS-CoV-2 does not replicate and is restricted by corneal type III interferon. Cell reports, November 3, 2020. DOI: 10.1016 / j.celrep.2020.108339

This work was supported by the National Eye Institute, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). .. Grant numbers K08AR070918, R21 EY027870, R01 AI1439082, R01 EY027870, 5P30 002687, R01 AI087682, R01 AI130454, R21 AI55380, and UL1TR002345. Pentagon W81XWH-17-1-0111, Central American Transplantation, and additional support with blindness prevention research and unlimited grants from the Jeffrey Fort Innovation Foundation to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

The 1,500 faculty members at the University of Washington School of Medicine are also medical staff at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, education and patient care and is ranked among the top 10 medical schools in the United States by the US News & World Report. Through a partnership between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC Health Care.