{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T18:48:57Z","timestamp":1785782937777,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,31]],"date-time":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1693440000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Ferrara"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Among the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2, follicular conjunctivitis has become relevant. The conjunctiva acts as an open lymph node, reacting to the viral antigen that binds the epithelial cells, forming follicles of B cells with activated T cells and NK cells on its surface, which, in turn, talk to monocyte-derived inflammatory infected macrophages. Here, the NLRP3 inflammasome is a major driver in releasing pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and caspase-1, leading to follicular conjunctivitis and bulbar congestion, even as isolated signs in the \u2018asymptomatic\u2019 patient.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11092198","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,31]],"date-time":"2023-08-31T11:33:25Z","timestamp":1693481605000},"page":"2198","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Macrophage Activation in Follicular Conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7426-8603","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla Enrica","family":"Gallenga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Sciences Doctoral Course Molecular Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy"},{"name":"Ophthalmology Unit, University\u2014Hospital Cona, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martina","family":"Maritati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bone and Infections Lab, Santa Maria Maddalena NH, Occhiobello, 45030 Rovigo, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medical Sciences, Infectious Diseases Unit, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Mura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Unit, University\u2014Hospital Cona, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Translational Medicine and for the Romagna, Ophthalmology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3566-1362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Di Virgilio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Sciences Doctoral Course Molecular Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9475-4924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pio","family":"Conti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Immunology, G. D\u2019Annunzio University, Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"},{"name":"Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8809-6470","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlo","family":"Contini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Sciences, Section Dermatology and Infectious Diseases, University of Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2020.02.052","article-title":"SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry Depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and Is Blocked by a Clinically Proven Protease Inhibitor","volume":"181","author":"Hoffmann","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e01815-18","DOI":"10.1128\/JVI.01815-18","article-title":"TMPRSS2 Contributes to Virus Spread and Immunopathology in the Airways of Murine Models after Coronavirus Infection","volume":"93","author":"Okamura","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. 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