Natural protection of ocular surface from viral infections - A hypothesis

doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110082

	Natural protection of ocular surface from viral infections - A hypothesis
	Zimmerman, Keith; Tzekov, Radouil; Kearns, Fiona
	2020-10
发表期刊	MEDICAL HYPOTHESES
ISSN	0306-9877
EISSN	1532-2777
摘要	A pandemic outbreak of a viral respiratory infection (COVID-19) caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) prompted a multitude of research focused on various aspects of this disease. One of the interesting aspects of the clinical manifestation of the infection is an accompanying ocular surface viral infection, viral conjunctivitis. Although occasional reports of viral conjunctivitis caused by this and the related SARS-CoV virus (causing the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s) are available, the prevalence of this complication among infected people appears low (similar to 1%). This is surprising, considering the recent discovery of the presence of viral receptors (ACE2 and TMPRSS2) in ocular surface tissue. The discrepancy between the theoretically expected high rate of concurrence of viral ocular surface inflammation and the observed relatively low occurrence can be explained by several factors. In this work, we discuss the significance of natural protective factors related to anatomical and physiological properties of the eyes and preventing the deposition of large number of virus-loaded particles on the ocular surface. Specifically, we advance the hypothesis that the standing potential of the eye plays an important role in repelling aerosol particles (microdroplets) from the surface of the eye and discuss factors associated with this hypothesis, possible ways to test it and its implications in terms of prevention of ocular infections.
关键词	Standing potential of the eye Bioaerosols SARS-CoV-1 SARS-CoV-2 SARS COVID-19 Coronavirus
DOI	10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110082
WOS关键词	RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS ; EXHALED BREATH CONDENSATE ; PARTICLE DEPOSITION ; AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION ; INFLUENZA-VIRUS ; WATER DROPLETS ; AIR ; EXPOSURE ; CONJUNCTIVITIS ; TEMPERATURE
WOS研究方向	Research & Experimental Medicine
WOS类目	Medicine, Research & Experimental
出版者	CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
专题	新冠肺炎循证社会科学证据集成
作者单位	Univ S Florida
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Zimmerman, Keith,Tzekov, Radouil,Kearns, Fiona. Natural protection of ocular surface from viral infections - A hypothesis[J]. MEDICAL HYPOTHESES,2020.
APA	Zimmerman, Keith,Tzekov, Radouil,&Kearns, Fiona.(2020).Natural protection of ocular surface from viral infections - A hypothesis.MEDICAL HYPOTHESES.
MLA	Zimmerman, Keith,et al."Natural protection of ocular surface from viral infections - A hypothesis".MEDICAL HYPOTHESES (2020).