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- Title
Expression of the COVID‐19 receptor ACE2 in the human conjunctiva.
- Authors
Lange, Clemens; Wolf, Julian; Auw‐Haedrich, Claudia; Schlecht, Anja; Boneva, Stefaniya; Lapp, Thabo; Horres, Ralf; Agostini, Hansjürgen; Martin, Gottfried; Reinhard, Thomas; Schlunck, Günther
- Abstract
SARS‐CoV‐2 is assumed to use angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and other auxiliary proteins for cell entry. Recent studies have described conjunctival congestion in 0.8% of patients with laboratory‐confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), and there has been speculation that SARS‐CoV‐2 can be transmitted through the conjunctiva. However, it is currently unclear whether conjunctival epithelial cells express ACE2 and its cofactors. In this study, a total of 38 conjunctival samples from 38 patients, including 12 healthy conjunctivas, 12 melanomas, seven squamous cell carcinomas, and seven papilloma samples, were analyzed using high‐throughput RNA sequencing to assess messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of the SARS‐CoV‐2 receptor ACE2 and its cofactors including TMPRSS2, ANPEP, DPP4, and ENPEP. ACE2 protein expression was assessed in eight healthy conjunctival samples using immunohistochemistry. Our results show that the SARS‐CoV‐2 receptor ACE2 is not substantially expressed in conjunctival samples on the mRNA (median: 0.0 transcripts per million [TPM], min: 0.0 TPM, max: 1.7 TPM) and protein levels. Similar results were obtained for the transcription of other auxiliary molecules. In conclusion, this study finds no evidence for a significant expression of ACE2 and its auxiliary mediators for cell entry in conjunctival samples, making conjunctival infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 via these mediators unlikely.
- Subjects
COVID-19; CONJUNCTIVA; SARS-CoV-2; ANGIOTENSIN converting enzyme
- Publication
Journal of Medical Virology, 2020, Vol 92, Issue 10, p2081
- ISSN
0146-6615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/jmv.25981