Occurrence of viral DNA in paired samples of corneal rim and cornea preservation fluid.

Corneal transplants have one of the highest success rates among all transplantological procedures. Corneas intended for transplantation are stored in a preservation fluid, which is then tested for bacterial and fungal infections. Among all analyses of infectious complications following corneal transplants, infections caused by bacteria or fungi are the most prominent. Surprisingly, however, apart from a few publications, there is a lack of data regarding the occurrence of viruses in donor corneas and the risk of transmitting these to their recipients. The intention of this research was therefore to determine the frequency with which human herpesvirus 1 (HHV-1), human herpesvirus 2 (HHV-2), and human adenovirus (HAdV) occur in transplanted corneal tissue, as well as in samples of preservation fluid. The study comprised 57 paired samples, with each pair consisting of a fragment of the corneal tissue remaining after its trepanation for transplantation surgery and a sample of corneal preservation fluid. Sample pairs were all tested for the presence of the DNA of three viruses (HHV-1, HHV-2, and HAdV) using real time PCR technique. Viral DNA was found in three of the tested corneas-HHV-1 DNA in one paired sample (1.8%) and adenovirus DNA in two single samples (3.5%). We postulate that virological testing of corneas for transplantation should be considered, particularly in the case of donors with increased risk factors for herpesvirus and adenovirus reactivation. J. Med. Virol. 89:732-736, 2017.