tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Infect Drug Resist
. 2021 Dec 15;14:5395-5401.
doi: 10.2147/IDR.S335635. eCollection 2021.
Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 on Ocular Surface of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Using One-Step Reverse-Transcription Droplet Digital PCR
Xian Zhang[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Liting Chen[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gaoxiang Wang[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 [/SUP], Liwen Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lifang Huang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yang Cao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xing Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Chaohua Deng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xuhui Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dandan Ke[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yuanjun Qin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bo Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xufang Sun[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Purpose: This study detects SARS-CoV-2 in the ocular surface through one-step reverse-transcription droplet digital PCR (one-step RT-ddPCR) and evaluates the possibility of the ocular surface as a possible transmission route.
Methods: A single-center prospective observational study was designed to investigate the viral loads in ocular surface. Specimens including the conjunctival swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs and blood were synchronously collected at a single time point for all COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 loads in nasopharyngeal swabs were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR); the blood samples and conjunctival swabs were tested by real-time PCR and one-step RT-ddPCR.
Results: Sixty-eight COVID-19 patients confirmed by nasopharyngeal real-time PCR were recruited. In the single time point test, 40 cases showed positive SARS-CoV-2 detection in either the blood, tears, or nasopharynx, of which four cases were triple-positive, 10 were dual-positive, and 26 were single-positive. The positive rate of nasopharyngeal swab real-time PCR test was 22.1% (15/68). The positive rate of blood and conjunctival swabs by one-step RT-ddPCR was 38.2% (26/68) and 25% (17/68), respectively, whereas real-time PCR was all negative. Positive conjunctival swabs were significantly correlated with positive nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.028). The sampling lags from illness onset to sampling day in 3 out of 4 triple-positive patients and in 9 out of 10 dual-positive patients were respectively less than 9 days and less than 20 days.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface is much higher than expected. Transmission possibility through the ocular surface may be greatly underestimated.
Keywords: absolute quantification; blood samples; nasopharyngeal specimens; tear samples; transmission; virus detection.
. 2021 Dec 15;14:5395-5401.
doi: 10.2147/IDR.S335635. eCollection 2021.
Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 on Ocular Surface of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Using One-Step Reverse-Transcription Droplet Digital PCR
Xian Zhang[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Liting Chen[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gaoxiang Wang[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 [/SUP], Liwen Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lifang Huang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yang Cao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xing Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Chaohua Deng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xuhui Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dandan Ke[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yuanjun Qin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bo Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xufang Sun[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34938087
- PMCID: PMC8685385
- DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S335635
Abstract
Purpose: This study detects SARS-CoV-2 in the ocular surface through one-step reverse-transcription droplet digital PCR (one-step RT-ddPCR) and evaluates the possibility of the ocular surface as a possible transmission route.
Methods: A single-center prospective observational study was designed to investigate the viral loads in ocular surface. Specimens including the conjunctival swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs and blood were synchronously collected at a single time point for all COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 loads in nasopharyngeal swabs were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR); the blood samples and conjunctival swabs were tested by real-time PCR and one-step RT-ddPCR.
Results: Sixty-eight COVID-19 patients confirmed by nasopharyngeal real-time PCR were recruited. In the single time point test, 40 cases showed positive SARS-CoV-2 detection in either the blood, tears, or nasopharynx, of which four cases were triple-positive, 10 were dual-positive, and 26 were single-positive. The positive rate of nasopharyngeal swab real-time PCR test was 22.1% (15/68). The positive rate of blood and conjunctival swabs by one-step RT-ddPCR was 38.2% (26/68) and 25% (17/68), respectively, whereas real-time PCR was all negative. Positive conjunctival swabs were significantly correlated with positive nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.028). The sampling lags from illness onset to sampling day in 3 out of 4 triple-positive patients and in 9 out of 10 dual-positive patients were respectively less than 9 days and less than 20 days.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface is much higher than expected. Transmission possibility through the ocular surface may be greatly underestimated.
Keywords: absolute quantification; blood samples; nasopharyngeal specimens; tear samples; transmission; virus detection.