Jonas Jost B, Ohno-Matsui Kyoko, Holbach Leonard, Panda-Jonas Songhomitra
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
Acta Ophthalmol. 2017 Feb;95(1):e22-e28. doi: 10.1111/aos.13188. Epub 2016 Aug 22.
To assess associations between axial length and density of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in various ocular regions.
The histomorphometric investigation included histological sections of enucleated eyes of Caucasian patients. Using a light microscope, we counted the number of RPE cells on Bruch's membrane at the ora serrata, in the pre-equatorial region, the equatorial and retro-equatorial region, at the midpoint equator/posterior pole, and at the posterior pole.
The study included 65 globes with a mean axial length 25.9 ± 3.5 mm (range: 21.0-34.0 mm). Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell count in the equatorial to retro-equatorial region (p < 0.001; correlation coefficient r : 0.44), in the pre-equatorial region (p < 0.001; r : 0.39) and at the midpoint equator/posterior pole (p = 0.03; r : 0.12) decreased with increasing axial length. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell count at the ora serrata (p = 0.49) and posterior pole (p = 0.44) was not significantly correlated with axial length. As a corollary, mean RPE cell density was higher (p < 0.001) at the posterior pole than at the midpoint equator/posterior pole or at the ora serrata region, where it was higher than in pre-equatorial region (p < 0.001) and in the equatorial to retro-equatorial region (p < 0.001).
The decrease in the RPE cell density mainly in the equatorial to retro-equatorial region in association with longer axial length suggests a region of enlargement of Bruch's membrane in the equatorial to retro-equatorial area in association with axial elongation. The finding may be of interest to elucidate the process of emmetropization/myopization.
评估眼轴长度与不同眼部区域视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞密度之间的关联。
组织形态计量学研究包括白种人患者摘除眼球的组织切片。使用光学显微镜，我们计数了锯齿缘、赤道前区域、赤道及赤道后区域、赤道/后极中点以及后极处Bruch膜上的RPE细胞数量。
该研究纳入了65个眼球，平均眼轴长度为25.9±3.5mm（范围：21.0 - 34.0mm）。赤道至赤道后区域（p < 0.001；相关系数r：0.44）、赤道前区域（p < 0.001；r：0.39）以及赤道/后极中点处（p = 0.03；r：0.12）的视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞计数随着眼轴长度的增加而减少。锯齿缘（p = 0.49）和后极处（p = 0.44）的视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞计数与眼轴长度无显著相关性。相应地，后极处的平均RPE细胞密度高于赤道/后极中点或锯齿缘区域（p < 0.001），而锯齿缘区域又高于赤道前区域（p < 0.001）和赤道至赤道后区域（p < 0.001）。
RPE细胞密度主要在赤道至赤道后区域随着眼轴长度增加而降低，这表明赤道至赤道后区域Bruch膜随着眼轴伸长而扩大。这一发现可能有助于阐明正视化/近视化过程。
