Figure 5.

Differential gene expression and pathway enrichment within retinal layers in post-COVID19 and control eyes of central retina. (A-D) Volcano plots for central region ganglion cell layer, INL, photoreceptor, and RPE layers, respectively. Upregulated genes in post-COVID-19 (Disease, orange) and downregulated genes (green) are shown. (E-H) Gene Set Enrichment Analysis highlighting upregulation of mitochondrial pathways and downregulation of semaphorin receptor signaling, cilium organization, and sensory perception pathways. (I) Cell-type deconvolution comparing control and post-COVID-19 eyes across layers, showing stable overall cell-type proportions and expected enrichment of layer-specific cell populations. ATP = adenosine triphosphate; BC = bipolar cells; COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; FC = fold change; GSEA = Gene Set Enrichment Analysis; INL = inner nuclear layer; NADH = nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; RGC = retinal ganglion cell; RPE = retinal pigment epithelium.