Viral Persistence
EVICT-VR considers an EBOV RT-qPCR cycle threshold value below 40 positive. The earlier EVICT study in Sierra Leone found no detectable EBOV RNA in aqueous humour from 50 survivors, but sampling occurred long after primary uveitis episodes…
2 sources - 7 claims
EVICT-VR considers an EBOV RT-qPCR cycle threshold value below 40 positive. The earlier EVICT study in Sierra Leone found no detectable EBOV RNA in aqueous humour from 50 survivors, but sampling occurred long after primary uveitis episodes and without active inflammation. Non-human primate survivor studies found clinical uveitis with EBOV RNA and high EBOV-specific IgG in vitreous humour more than three months after infection. The Goldmann-Witmer Coefficient is used to determine whether intraocular antibody production exceeds passive diffusion from systemic circulation. SARS-CoV-2 viral particles can persist in the body for months following initial infection in long COVID patients. The study hypothesizes that antigen-specific immune responses linked to ocular EBOV persistence in vitreous humour may act as biomarkers and shape EVD-associated uveitis pathophysiology. EVICT-VR tests vitreous specimens for EBOV RNA using RT-qPCR targets for nucleoprotein and glycoprotein.