Lactoferrin: The Natural Protector of the Eye against Coronavirus-19

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus-19 (Covid-19), which has affected the whole world in a very short time, can infect the eye by using the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 receptor. Viral prevalence in the conjunctiva was reported to be between 3% and 16% in patients with Covid-19. Although Covid-19 has been reported to cause symptoms of conjunctivitis and rash in the eye, no complete evidence has yet been presented that the virus is transmitted from the eye. The low rate of PCR positivity in conjunctival swabs may be due to the effect of lactoferrin (LF), which is among the tear defense systems. LF, the natural protein found in tears, plays a major role in the eye’s immune system. The antiviral effect of LF on the SARS-CoV pseudotype, which is in the same family as SARS-CoV-2, has been demonstrated in-vitro.

KEYWORDS:

• Lactoferrin
• eye
• Coronavirus-19
• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.