RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Loss of endothelial cells in viral DNA-positive grafts after keratoplasty: a 2-year follow-up study
JF British Journal of Ophthalmology
JO Br J Ophthalmol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
SP 26
OP 31
DO 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-317629
VO 106
IS 1
A1 Jing-Hao Qu
A1 Rong-Mei Peng
A1 Ge-Ge Xiao
A1 Hong-Qiang Qu
A1 Ting Yu
A1 Shuang Zhang
A1 Jing Hong
YR 2022
UL http://bjo.bmj.com/content/106/1/26.abstract
AB Background To compare endothelial loss between recipients who received viral DNA-positive grafts and controls 2 years after corneal transplantation.Methods We retrospectively analysed the clinical data and endothelial cell density of recipients of viral DNA-positive grafts and age-, sex-, aetiology- and operation-matched controls from April 2017 to July 2019 at the Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.Results A total of 23/942 (2.44%) donor corneal buttons tested virus-positive by real-time PCR. A total of 27 recipients (except for 2 recipients) of viral DNA-positive grafts and 48 recipients of viral DNA-negative grafts were included in this study. Recipients of viral DNA-positive grafts had a higher endothelial cell (EC) loss rate post-penetrating keratoplasty and post-descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (p<0.05), but post-deep lamellar keratoplasty, the EC loss rate was similar to that of the controls. Recipients of herpes simplex virus-1-, cytomegalovirus- and varicella-zoster virus-positive grafts all had a higher EC loss rate than the controls during the 12- and 24-month follow-up periods (p<0.05).Conclusion We inferred that viruses might be hidden in corneal grafts and mainly incubate in the corneal endothelium. Viral DNA-positive grafts do not need to be replaced immediately and can be followed up for a long time.