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Expression of the COVID-19 receptor ACE2 in the human conjunctiva.
J Med Virol. 2020 10; 92(10):2081-2086.JM

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.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. GenXPro, Frankfurt Innovation Center Biotechnology, Frankfurt, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

GenXPro, Frankfurt Innovation Center Biotechnology, Frankfurt, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

32374427

Citation

Lange, Clemens, et al. "Expression of the COVID-19 Receptor ACE2 in the Human Conjunctiva." Journal of Medical Virology, vol. 92, no. 10, 2020, pp. 2081-2086.

Lange C, Wolf J, Auw-Haedrich C, et al. Expression of the COVID-19 receptor ACE2 in the human conjunctiva. J Med Virol. 2020;92(10):2081-2086.

Lange, C., Wolf, J., Auw-Haedrich, C., Schlecht, A., Boneva, S., Lapp, T., Horres, R., Agostini, H., Martin, G., Reinhard, T., & Schlunck, G. (2020). Expression of the COVID-19 receptor ACE2 in the human conjunctiva. Journal of Medical Virology, 92(10), 2081-2086. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.25981

Lange C, et al. Expression of the COVID-19 Receptor ACE2 in the Human Conjunctiva. J Med Virol. 2020;92(10):2081-2086. PubMed PMID: 32374427.

* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case

TY - JOUR T1 - Expression of the COVID-19 receptor ACE2 in the human conjunctiva. AU - Lange,Clemens, AU - Wolf,Julian, AU - Auw-Haedrich,Claudia, AU - Schlecht,Anja, AU - Boneva,Stefaniya, AU - Lapp,Thabo, AU - Horres,Ralf, AU - Agostini,Hansjürgen, AU - Martin,Gottfried, AU - Reinhard,Thomas, AU - Schlunck,Günther, Y1 - 2020/07/11/ PY - 2020/03/31/received PY - 2020/05/04/accepted PY - 2020/5/7/pubmed PY - 2020/12/30/medline PY - 2020/5/7/entrez KW - ACE2 KW - COVID-19 KW - SARS-CoV-2 KW - TMPRSS2 KW - human conjunctiva SP - 2081 EP - 2086 JF - Journal of medical virology JO - J Med Virol VL - 92 IS - 10 N2 - 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. SN - 1096-9071 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/32374427/Expression_of_the_COVID_19_receptor_ACE2_in_the_human_conjunctiva_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -