ArticleThe ocular surface2022
SARS-CoV-2 and its beta variant of concern infect human conjunctival epithelial cells and induce differential antiviral innate immune response.
Article in The ocular surface, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- New variants of COVID-19 (XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16, the "Arcturus"): A review of highly questioned concerns, a brief comparison between different peaks in the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focused systematic review on expert recommendations for prevention, vaccination, and treatment measures in the general population and at-risk groups.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2024Pooled it
- Exploration of shared gene signatures and molecular mechanisms between psoriasis and COVID-19: evidence from transcriptome data.Mammalian genome : official journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society · 2026Article
- A pan-beta-coronavirus vaccine bearing conserved and asymptomatic B- and T-cell epitopes protects against highly pathogenic Delta and highly transmissible Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2025Article
- Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on Ocular Surface Health: Infection Mechanisms, Immune Modulation, and Inflammatory Responses.Viruses · 2025Review
- Mimickers of anterior uveitis, scleritis and misdiagnoses- tips and tricks for the cornea specialist.Journal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection · 2024Review
- SARS-CoV-2 infects cells lining the blood-retinal barrier and induces a hyperinflammatory immune response in the retina via systemic exposure.PLoS pathogens · 2024Article
- Isolated Depo-Medrol Administration under Tenon's Capsule for Post-COVID-19 Uveitis in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Clinical features of 26 cases of COVID-19-associated conjunctivitis.Japanese journal of ophthalmology · 2024Article
- Choroidal and Retinal Vascular Findings in Patients with COVID-19 Complicated with Pneumonia: Widefield Imaging.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- SARS-CoV-2 cellular tropism and direct multiorgan failure in COVID-19 patients: Bioinformatic predictions, experimental observations, and open questions.Cell biology international · 2023Review
- Can COVID-19 Vaccines Induce Premature Non-Communicable Diseases: Where Are We Heading to?Vaccines · 2023Review
- Review
- Conjunctival epithelial cells resist productive SARS-CoV-2 infection.Stem cell reports · 2022Article
- Development of a novel human CD147 knock-in NSG mouse model to test SARS-CoV-2 viral infection.Cell & bioscience · 2022Article
- Development of a Novel Human CD147 Knock-in NSG Mouse Model to Test SARS-CoV-2 Viral Infection.Research square · 2022Article
- Review
- Therapeutic potential of the MDM2 inhibitor Nutlin-3 in counteracting SARS-CoV-2 infection of the eye through p53 activation.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Review
- Article
- Ocular manifestations of COVID-19 in pediatric patients.Therapeutic advances in ophthalmologyReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeSARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in ocular tissues, but their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection is unclear. Here, we tested whether SARS-CoV-2 can infect human conjunctival epithelial cells (hCECs) and induce innate immune response.
methodsConjunctival tissue from COVID-19 donors was used to detect SARS-CoV-2 spike and envelope proteins. Primary hCECs isolated from cadaver eyes were infected with the parental SARS-CoV-2 and its beta variant of concern (VOC). Viral genome copy number, and expression of viral entry receptors, TLRs, interferons, and innate immune response genes were determined by qPCR. Viral entry receptors were examined in hCECs and tissue sections by immunostaining. Spike protein was detected in the cell culture supernatant by dot blot.
resultsSpike and envelope proteins were found in conjunctiva from COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 infected hCECs showed high viral copy numbers at 24-72h post-infection; spike protein levels were the highest at 24hpi. Viral entry receptors ACE2, TMPRSS2, CD147, Axl, and NRP1 were detected in conjunctival tissue and hCECs. SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced receptor gene expression peaked at early time points post-infection, but gene expression of most TLRs peaked at 48 or 72hpi. SARS-CoV-2 infected hCECs showed higher expression of genes regulating antiviral response, RIG-I, interferons (α, β, & λ), ISG15 & OAS2, cytokines (IL6, IL1β, TNFα), and chemokines (CXCL10, CCL5). Compared to the parental strain, beta VOC induced increased viral copy number and innate response in hCECs.
conclusionsConjunctival epithelial cells are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Beta VOC is more infectious than the parental strain and evokes a higher antiviral and inflammatory response.
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Registered trials
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.