Author Of 2 Presentations
LB1183 - Utilizing Optical Coherence Tomography to Assess the Gender Role on Retinal Structures in Patients with Early MS (ID 1973)
Abstract
Background
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a fast, non-invasive tool utilized to quantify retinal thickness and volume. It is thought that men experience a more aggressive course of MS than women with faster accumulation of disability.
Objectives
To compare the gender influence on retinal volumes and thickness of patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods
Sixty patients in the early stages of MS (≤3 years since symptom onset) underwent OCT exams and were included in this single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 22 men (mean age±SD: 39.95±10.95; mean disease duration±SD: 0.98±1.15) and 38 women (mean age±SD: 38.21±11.52; mean disease duration±SD: 1.45±0.97). All OCT scans were performed to quantify peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness. The pRNFL was then separated into four quadrants: superior (S), inferior (I), nasal (N), and temporal (T). Fully automated, intra-retinal segmentation was performed to measure the volume of the macula: total macular (TMV), retinal nerve fiber (RNFL), ganglion cell + inner plexiform (GCIP), and photoreceptor (PR). A multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with gender as the independent variable and OCT parameters as dependent variables was used to analyze our data. Age and disease duration were included as covariates (SPSS v26).
Results
TMV and PR retinal volumes were found to be statistically lower in women than men (p=0.042 and 0.008 respectively). RNFL volume was trending lower in women than men, but did not reach significance (p=0.090). There was no significance noted in the other retinal volumes or thickness between the two groups.
Conclusions
Our results indicate there may be more prominent retinal volume loss in women than men in the early stages of MS. OCT should be utilized as a surrogate tool to monitor early disease progression, especially in the female population. Future longitudinal studies with larger samples should be conducted to confirm these findings.
LB1202 - The effects of obesity on retinal structures in African American and Caucasian relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients (ID 2043)
Abstract
Background
It has been investigated that obesity may impact RRMS disease severity. It has been well established that retinal layers thin over time in RRMS, and that AA patients tend to experience a more aggressive disease course than CA patients. Optical coherence tomography was utilized to quantify retinal thickness and volume.
Objectives
To assess the effect of obesity on retinal structures between African American (AA) and Caucasian (CA) patients with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS).
Methods
One hundred thirty-six RRMS patients were included in this single-center retrospective study and split into two groups: 67 obese (BMI≥30, 40 AA, 27 CA, mean BMI±SD: 36.7±5.8) and 69 non-obese (BMI˂30, 23 AA, 46 CA, mean BMI±SD: 24.0±3.1). An OCT was performed to quantify the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and volumetric macular scans. The pRNFL was segmented into quadrant thickness: superior (S), inferior (I), temporal (T), and nasal (N). Automated intra-retinal segmentation was performed to obtain the following macular volumes: total macular (TMV), papillomacular bundle (PMB), retinal nerve fiber (RNFL), ganglion cell + inner plexiform (GCIP), inner nuclear (INL), outer plexiform (OPL), and outer nuclear (ONL) layers. A generalized linear model with OCT parameters as dependent variables and BMI grouping as the independent variable was used for analysis with age and disease duration as covariates (SPSS v26).
Results
There was a significant direct correlation between obesity and thickness in the T quadrant of the pRNFL (p=0.044), and also the INL (p=0.034) and RNFL (p=0.009) volumes across all patients. AA patients in the obese group had significantly lower measures of T (p=0.033), N (p=0.044), TMV (p=0.003), RNFL (p=0.013), OPL (p=0.050), ONL (p=0.026), and GCIP (p=0.038) compared to obese CA patients. Among non-obese patients, the ONL was significantly lower in AA compared to CA patients (p<0.001).
Conclusions
Our data suggests a correlation between obesity and increased retinal thinning, specifically in the T region of the pRNFL, and the INL and RNFL volumes. While obesity affects retinal integrity in all patients, our data also suggests the impact is more prominent in AA patients than CA patients. Further investigations should be conducted regarding the impact of other health factors on RRMS across racial groups to better understand how to monitor disease course in patients of different backgrounds.