Abstract
Objective
To assess the course of neurodegeneration based on retinal layer thickness and integrity analysis in diabetic patients without retinopathy and to evaluate its association with inner retinal reflectivity.
Methods
This retrospective case–control study included 80 eyes of 80 patients with DM without retinopathy and 40 eyes of 40 healthy subjects with a follow-up of ≥1 year. SD-OCT was used for assessment of retinal reflectivity and macular layer thicknesses. Optical intensity ratios (OIRs) were defined as the mean OCT reflectivity of ganglion cell and inner nuclear layer to the mean reflectivity of RPE.
Results
After Bonferroni correction, thinning in pericentral, superior and nasal sectors in total retina, superior ganglion cell, pericentral and nasal inner plexiform, and superior inner retinal layers, as well as thickening in inferior and pericentral outer plexiform layer remained significant in the study group (p < 0.0125). Ganglion cell layer OIR significantly correlated with the changes in superior retina (r = 0.278, p = 0.013), central inner retina (r = 0.247, p = 0.027), and pericentral retinal thickness (r = 0.240, p = 0.032), and no eyes had disruption of retinal layers in the study group initially or finally.
Conclusion
Ganglion cell layer reflectivity significantly correlated with the amount of pericentral retinal thinning during the time course in the diabetic group, which was more prominent in the inner retinal layers.
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Acknowledgements
This study was presented in part (poster presentation) at the 20th EURETINA (Virtual Congress, October 2020).
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ENC was responsible for the conception and design of the study, and was a major contributor in data analysis, interpretation and drafting of the manuscript. OP, HSA and GP collected and interpreted the data and contributed in writing the manuscript. All authors approved the final version and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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Cetin, E.N., Parca, O., Akkaya, H.S. et al. Association of inner retinal reflectivity with qualitative and quantitative changes in retinal layers over time in diabetic eyes without retinopathy. Eye 36, 1253–1260 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-021-01607-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-021-01607-w
