Foti Rosario, Zeppieri Marco, Foti Roberta, Visalli Elisa, Amato Giorgio, Amato Roberta, Dammino Edoardo, D'Esposito Fabiana, Gagliano Caterina
Rheumatology Unit, Policlinico San Marco Hospital, 95121 Catania, Italy.
Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
J Clin Med. 2024 May 7;13(10):2738. doi: 10.3390/jcm13102738.
: Systemic sclerosis is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy, fibrosis, and immune dysregulation. Ocular manifestations in these patients are increasingly recognized, suggesting potential correlations between systemic vascular abnormalities and ocular microvascular changes. Advancements in molecular immunology and imaging technology using ocular coherence tomography (OCT) have unveiled intricate pathways underlying possible disease pathogenesis. Understanding the interplay between retinal vascular abnormalities and molecular immunology parameters could provide insights into disease mechanisms and potential biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate vascular abnormalities, detected with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), in systemic sclerosis patients and to find correlations between the severity of the disease detected with molecular immunology findings and OCT-A parameters. A group of 32 systemic sclerosis patients were compared with 9 healthy controls. Ganglion cell complex thickness (GCC), retina thickness of the fovea and parafovea, nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) and cup/disc area ratio were investigated using OCT. Vessel density (VD) of the superficial (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) of the whole macular area and ETDRS grid, size of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and vessel density of the radial peripapillary capillary plexus (RPCP) were evaluated using OCT-A. Modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), capillaroscopy and disease duration were used to stage disease severity. There was a statistically significant reduction in retina thickness of the fovea and parafovea, VD of the whole DCP, VD of the SCP and DCP in ETDRS grid in the patient group compared to controls ( < 0.001). The patients presented a significant enlargement of the FAZ ( 0.005). No significant correlation between OCT and OCT-A parameters and disease severity scores was found. OCT-A could represent a non-invasive tool to detect retinal microvascular damage in systemic sclerosis.
系统性硬化症是一种复杂的自身免疫性疾病,其特征为血管病变、纤维化和免疫失调。这些患者的眼部表现越来越受到重视,提示全身血管异常与眼部微血管变化之间可能存在关联。分子免疫学和使用光学相干断层扫描(OCT)的成像技术的进展揭示了潜在疾病发病机制的复杂途径。了解视网膜血管异常与分子免疫学参数之间的相互作用可为疾病机制和潜在生物标志物提供见解。本研究的目的是使用光学相干断层扫描血管造影(OCT-A)研究系统性硬化症患者的血管异常,并找出分子免疫学结果检测到的疾病严重程度与OCT-A参数之间的相关性。将一组32例系统性硬化症患者与9名健康对照进行比较。使用OCT研究神经节细胞复合体厚度(GCC)、中央凹和旁中央凹的视网膜厚度、神经纤维层厚度(RNFL)以及杯盘面积比。使用OCT-A评估整个黄斑区和ETDRS网格的浅层(SCP)和深层毛细血管丛(DCP)的血管密度(VD)、中央凹无血管区(FAZ)的大小以及放射状视乳头周围毛细血管丛(RPCP)的血管密度。使用改良的罗德南皮肤评分(mRSS)、毛细血管镜检查和疾病持续时间对疾病严重程度进行分期。与对照组相比,患者组中央凹和旁中央凹的视网膜厚度、整个DCP的VD、ETDRS网格中SCP和DCP的VD有统计学意义的降低(<0.001)。患者的FAZ显著增大(<0.005)。未发现OCT和OCT-A参数与疾病严重程度评分之间存在显著相关性。OCT-A可作为检测系统性硬化症视网膜微血管损伤的非侵入性工具。
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