Abstract
Purpose :
Various nonhuman primate species serve as models for studying the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the human body, with a particular emphasis on Rhesus macaques. While African Green Monkeys (AGMs) may provide more accurate models for SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a paucity of data supporting AGMs as an ocular model. Therefore, this study aims to characterize retinal changes in AGMs following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods :
As part of a broader investigation into SARS-CoV-2 neuropathology at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, 18 AGMs aged 6 to 18 years, were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Subsequently, they underwent retinal examinations using the Spectralis machine (Heidelberg Engineering) with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Primary outcomes included foveal thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Additionally, blood and serum from AGMs were tested for inflammatory markers and growth factors using western blot analysis.
Results :
The average foveal thickness in the right eye (N=12) was 173 μm ± 31.0 μm, and in the left eye (N=8), it was 150.5 μm ± 27.42 μm. For all eyes (N=16), the average foveal thickness was 164.0 μm ± 30.1 μm. The average RNFL global thickness in the right eye (N=16) was 107.9 μm ± 7.92 μm, and in the left eye (N=14), it was 111.6 μm ± 18.4 μm. In age-matched individuals (N=11), no observable correlation existed between average foveal thickness and serum levels of IL-6 or MCP-4. Likewise, there was no observable correlation between average RNFL thickness and serum levels of IL-6 or MCP-4.
Conclusions :
Our study did not identify any relationship between foveal thickness, RNFL thickness, and serum inflammatory markers in African Green Monkeys infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Limitations of this study include a small sample size, potential imaging errors, and a lack of pre-infection baseline characteristics.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.