Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33984050›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Severe acute respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2: Can it be detected in the retina?

Tarek Bayyoud, Angelika Iftner, Thomas Iftner, Karl Ulrich Bartz-Schmidt, Focke Ziemssen, Hans Bösmüller, Falko Fend, Jens Martin Rohrbach, Marius Ueffing, Michael Schindler and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Retinal vascular occlusions in COVID-19 infection and vaccination: a literature review.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2023
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Tarek BayyoudDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0848-0099
Angelika IftnerInstitute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Thomas IftnerInstitute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Karl Ulrich Bartz-SchmidtDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Focke ZiemssenDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Hans BösmüllerInstitute of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Falko FendInstitute of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Jens Martin RohrbachDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Marius UeffingDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Michael SchindlerInstitute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Sebastian ThalerDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesThe systemic organ involvement of SARS-CoV-2 needs to be thoroughly investigated including the possibility of an ocular reservoir in humans. To examine retinal tissues and vitreous for histopathology and SARS-CoV-2 presence with regard to possible effects on the human retina and/ or vitreous. We performed histopathological analyses and quantitative (q)RT-PCR-testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA on retinal tissues and vitreous of COVID-19 postmortem donors. SUBJECTS/

methodsIncluded in this study were 10 eyes of 5 deceased COVID-19 patients. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed via pharyngeal swabs and broncho-alveolar fluids. The highest level of personal protective equipment (PPE) and measures was employed during fluid-tissue procurement and preparation. Histopathological examinations and qRT-PCR-testing were carried out for all retinal tissues and vitreous fluids.

resultsThe histopathological examinations revealed no signs of morphologically identifiable retinal inflammation or vessel occlusions based on hematoxylin and eosin stains. By qRT-PCRs, we detected no significant level of viral RNA in human retina and vitreous.

conclusionsIn this study, no significant level of SARS-CoV-2-RNA was detected in the human retinal and vitreous fluid samples of deceased COVID-19 patients. Histopathological examinations confirmed no morphological sign of damage to retinal vasculature or tissues. Further studies are needed to confirm or refute the results.

Indexed as

AutopsyCOVID-19COVID-19 Nucleic Acid TestingHumansRetinaRNA, ViralSARS-CoV-2Vitreous BodyRNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID33984050
PMCPMC8118466

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.