Zhao Xiaorui, Yuan Yifei, Sun Tong, Zhang Yu, Chen Yueguo
Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Feb 24;9:828233. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.828233. eCollection 2022.
To analyze the level of sex hormone in relation to keratoconus (KC).
Sixty-two eyes of 62 patients (12 females, 50 males) classified as KC and 120 eyes of 120 patients (21 females, 99 males) with mild to moderate myopia and astigmatism were analyzed. Plasma samples were collected and analyzed using a chemiluminescence immunoassay to determine the concentrations of estriol (E), estradiol (E), progesterone (P), and testosterone (T). Corneal morphological parameters, such as the central corneal thickness (CCT), thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), and maximum simulated keratometry (K), were measured using Pentacam and Sirius.
The mean age was 23.73 ± 5.16 years for patients with KC and 23.68 ± 6.10 years for patients treated with laser vision correction (LVC). Among the patients with KC, 12 were female (19.35%) and 50 were male (80.65%). The majority of patients with KC were between 20 and 30 years old. In female patients, the concentration of T in the KC group was significantly lower than that in the LVC group (0.86 ± 0.33 vs. 1.18 ± 0.58 nmol/L; = 0.044). There were positive correlations between T, CCT ( = 0.395, = 0.023) and TCT ( = 0.378, = 0.030) in female patients. In male patients, E was higher in the KC group than the LVC group (143.75 ± 34.82 vs. 124.80 ± 43.56 pmol/L; = 0.013), while T was significantly lower (11.59 ± 2.85 vs. 13.58 ± 4.77 nmol/L; = 0.026). A positive correlation was found between E and K ( = 0.222, = 0.007) in male patients.
Conclusively, our results showed that T level was reduced in both female and male KC plasma, while E was increased in male KC plasma. Different levels of sex hormones are correlated with KC, which, may provide the basis of a new technique for screening and diagnosing KC with or without the assistance of current imaging techniques. Moreover, the correlations between sex hormone alterations and KC provide compelling insight into KC etiopathogenesis.
分析性激素水平与圆锥角膜（KC）的关系。
对62例（12例女性，50例男性）诊断为KC的患者的62只眼，以及120例（21例女性，99例男性）患有轻度至中度近视和散光的患者的120只眼进行分析。采集血浆样本并使用化学发光免疫分析法进行分析，以测定雌三醇（E）、雌二醇（E）、孕酮（P）和睾酮（T）的浓度。使用Pentacam和Sirius测量角膜形态参数，如中央角膜厚度（CCT）、最薄角膜厚度（TCT）和最大模拟角膜曲率（K）。
KC患者的平均年龄为23.73±5.16岁，接受激光视力矫正（LVC）治疗的患者平均年龄为23.68±6.10岁。在KC患者中，12例为女性（19.35%），50例为男性（80.65%）。大多数KC患者年龄在20至30岁之间。在女性患者中，KC组的T浓度显著低于LVC组（0.86±0.33 vs. 1.18±0.58 nmol/L；P = 0.044）。女性患者中，T与CCT（r = 0.395，P = 0.023）和TCT（r = 0.378，P = 0.030）呈正相关。在男性患者中，KC组的E高于LVC组（143.75±34.82 vs. 124.80±43.56 pmol/L；P = 0.013），而T显著降低（11.59±2.85 vs. 13.58±4.77 nmol/L；P = 0.026）。男性患者中，E与K呈正相关（r = 0.222，P = 0.007）。
总之，我们的结果表明，男性和女性KC患者血浆中的T水平均降低，而男性KC患者血浆中的E升高。不同水平的性激素与KC相关，这可能为在现有成像技术辅助或不辅助的情况下筛查和诊断KC的新技术提供依据。此外，性激素改变与KC之间的相关性为KC的病因发病机制提供了引人注目的见解。
