Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis
Background: Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden have been seen in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).1,2 Moreover, studies have described multiple extracranial and intracranial vasculature changes in pwMS.3 However, only a few studies have examined...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PAGEPress Publications
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Veins and Lymphatics |
| Online Access: | https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/vl/article/view/10961 |
| _version_ | 1811306525898047488 |
|---|---|
| author | Nicholas Young Robert Zivadinov Michael G. Dwyer Niels Bergsland Bianca Weinstock-Guttman Dejan Jakimovski |
| author_facet | Nicholas Young Robert Zivadinov Michael G. Dwyer Niels Bergsland Bianca Weinstock-Guttman Dejan Jakimovski |
| author_sort | Nicholas Young |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background: Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden have been seen in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).1,2 Moreover, studies have described multiple extracranial and intracranial vasculature changes in pwMS.3 However, only a few studies have examined the retinal vasculature in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Objectives: To determine if there are differences in retinal vasculature between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs) and their relationship to peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness.
Materials and methods: A total of 167 pwMS (113 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 54 progressive MS (PMS)) and 48 HCs were scanned using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Earlier OCT scans were available in a smaller sample size of 101 pwMS and 35 HCs for additional longitudinal 5-year follow-up analysis. The semiautomated segmentation of the retinal vasculature was performed in a blinded manner on peripapillary scans using the optical coherence tomography segmentation and evaluation GUI (OCTSEG) in MatLab. (Figure 1). Automated segmentation of the pRNFL was performed in the native Heidelberg OCT software. The sum of bilateral measures of total retinal vessel diameter, the total number of retinal vessels and average vessel diameter were calculated. Independent sample t-test and paired t-test were used for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively and non-parametric Spearman’s test for determining correlations.
Results: PwMS had a significantly smaller total vessel diameter (2.5 cm vs 2.7 cm, age-adjusted p=0.017) and numerically fewer number of retinal vessels when compared to HCs (35.1 vs 36.8, age-adjusted p=0.167). No significant differences between the pwRRMS and pwPMS were found. Over the follow-up, pwMS had significant decrease in number of retinal vessels (36.7 vs. 33.0, p<0.001) and significant increase in the average vessel diameter (0.072cm vs. 0.081cm, p<0.001). No longitudinal changes in the HCs were noted. Only in pwMS, lower pRNFL was associated with fewer retinal vessels and total vessel diameter (r=0.191, p=0.018 and r=0.216, p=0.007).
Conclusions: PwMS have retinal vasculature that results in smaller and fewer retinal vessels when compared to HCs that were related to reduced pRNFL. Over time, a reduction of retinal vasculature occurred. Future investigations should determine the relevance of retinal vasculature in regards to MS disease outcomes, presence of cardiovascular abnormalities and cerebral/retinal perfusion.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:47:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0bb44ce39f24268a6d3c49658a3141d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2279-7483 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:47:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veins and Lymphatics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0bb44ce39f24268a6d3c49658a3141d2022-12-22T02:53:38ZengPAGEPress PublicationsVeins and Lymphatics2279-74832022-11-0111110.4081/vl.2022.10961Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosisNicholas Young0Robert Zivadinov1Michael G. Dwyer2Niels Bergsland3Bianca Weinstock-Guttman4Dejan Jakimovski5Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, BuffaloCenter for Biomedical Imaging at Clinical Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, BuffaloBuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, BuffaloIRCCS, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, MilanJacobs Comprehensive MS Treatment and Research Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo, BuffaloBuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo Background: Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden have been seen in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).1,2 Moreover, studies have described multiple extracranial and intracranial vasculature changes in pwMS.3 However, only a few studies have examined the retinal vasculature in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives: To determine if there are differences in retinal vasculature between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs) and their relationship to peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness. Materials and methods: A total of 167 pwMS (113 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 54 progressive MS (PMS)) and 48 HCs were scanned using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Earlier OCT scans were available in a smaller sample size of 101 pwMS and 35 HCs for additional longitudinal 5-year follow-up analysis. The semiautomated segmentation of the retinal vasculature was performed in a blinded manner on peripapillary scans using the optical coherence tomography segmentation and evaluation GUI (OCTSEG) in MatLab. (Figure 1). Automated segmentation of the pRNFL was performed in the native Heidelberg OCT software. The sum of bilateral measures of total retinal vessel diameter, the total number of retinal vessels and average vessel diameter were calculated. Independent sample t-test and paired t-test were used for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively and non-parametric Spearman’s test for determining correlations. Results: PwMS had a significantly smaller total vessel diameter (2.5 cm vs 2.7 cm, age-adjusted p=0.017) and numerically fewer number of retinal vessels when compared to HCs (35.1 vs 36.8, age-adjusted p=0.167). No significant differences between the pwRRMS and pwPMS were found. Over the follow-up, pwMS had significant decrease in number of retinal vessels (36.7 vs. 33.0, p<0.001) and significant increase in the average vessel diameter (0.072cm vs. 0.081cm, p<0.001). No longitudinal changes in the HCs were noted. Only in pwMS, lower pRNFL was associated with fewer retinal vessels and total vessel diameter (r=0.191, p=0.018 and r=0.216, p=0.007). Conclusions: PwMS have retinal vasculature that results in smaller and fewer retinal vessels when compared to HCs that were related to reduced pRNFL. Over time, a reduction of retinal vasculature occurred. Future investigations should determine the relevance of retinal vasculature in regards to MS disease outcomes, presence of cardiovascular abnormalities and cerebral/retinal perfusion. https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/vl/article/view/10961 |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas Young Robert Zivadinov Michael G. Dwyer Niels Bergsland Bianca Weinstock-Guttman Dejan Jakimovski Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis Veins and Lymphatics |
| title | Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis |
| title_full | Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis |
| title_short | Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis |
| title_sort | retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis |
| url | https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/vl/article/view/10961 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicholasyoung retinalbloodvesselanalysisusingopticalcoherencetomographyinmultiplesclerosis AT robertzivadinov retinalbloodvesselanalysisusingopticalcoherencetomographyinmultiplesclerosis AT michaelgdwyer retinalbloodvesselanalysisusingopticalcoherencetomographyinmultiplesclerosis AT nielsbergsland retinalbloodvesselanalysisusingopticalcoherencetomographyinmultiplesclerosis AT biancaweinstockguttman retinalbloodvesselanalysisusingopticalcoherencetomographyinmultiplesclerosis AT dejanjakimovski retinalbloodvesselanalysisusingopticalcoherencetomographyinmultiplesclerosis |