Strong Correlation of Renal Function with Choroidal Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

• Main Authors: Min Gyu Choi, Jee Taek Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: diabetes complications; diabetes mellitus; diabetic retinopathy; diabetic nephropathies; choroidal thickness; optical coherence tomography
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/7/2171

The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between renal function and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) in treatment-naïve proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. This study included 85 eyes of 52 treatment-naïve PDR patients who underwent kidney function testing and urinalysis and 42 eyes of 33 age-matched controls. Treatment-naïve eyes with PDR were categorized into pachychoroid and leptochoroid groups based on the SFChT of the control group. Kidney function profiles were compared between pachychoroid and leptochoroid groups; the relationship between kidney function profile and SFChT was evaluated using regression analysis. Compared with the pachychoroid group, the leptochoroid group had significantly higher serum creatinine (<i>p</i> = 0.026), cystatin C (<i>p</i> = 0.004), and phosphorus (<i>p</i> < 0.001) levels and a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that SFChT was positively correlated with eGFR (Cystatin C) (<i>p</i> = 0.007) and negatively correlated with serum phosphorus (<i>p</i> = 0.001). SFChT of patients with eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m² and serum phosphorus level ≥4.0 mg/dL was less than that of patients with higher eGFR and lower serum phosphorus level. The choroidal thickness of treatment-naïve PDR patients is closely affected by renal function. Kidney function test should be considered if SFChT of patients with treatment-naïve PDR is reduced.