Abstract
Objective: To analyse corneal tissues from asymptomatic donors with a postmortem nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and therefore, understand the role that corneal transplantation may have in viral transmission.
Methods and analysis: Between March 2020 and October 2021, 101 corneas (out of 8154 collected in Italy) from 51 donors (out of a total of 4155 Italian donors) positive for SARS-CoV-2 after postmortem nasopharyngeal swab tests were analysed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA through real-time RT-PCR. When available, the corneal tissue storage media were also assessed. Corneas and/or storage media with confirmed presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were further investigated by isolating SARS-CoV-2 virions, which were used to infect VeroE6 target cells.
Results: Only N=4 corneas and/or storage media out of 101 showed presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. No VeroE6 cell infection was detected with viral isolates, thus suggesting no presence of SARS-CoV-2 virions in corneal specimens and storage media.
Conclusions: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in cornea specimens would seem to be more likely due to prolonged detection of RNA rather than to active viral replication, with very low risk of infectivity and transmission through keratoplasty.
Keywords: COVID-19; cornea; eye (tissue) banking; public health.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, public health, Cornea, eye (tissue) banking, 【초록키워드】 public health, SARS-CoV-2, Infection, media, risk, Transmission, Italy, RNA, Nasopharyngeal swab, Asymptomatic, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, donors, real-time RT-PCR, Donor, target cells, Corneal transplantation, tissue, specimen, viral isolates, SARS-CoV-2 virions, positive, active viral replication, nasopharyngeal swab test, infect, Italian, Cell, Corneal, tested, collected, investigated, analysed, were used, in viral, SARS-CoV-2 virion, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19 pandemic, Italy, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, tissue, Corneal, Presence,