Choroidal thickness changes in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Rheumatology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with potential systemic vascular involvement.
• Ophthalmologic manifestations in SLE can be subtle, necessitating investigation of ocular structures like the choroid.
• Choroidal thickness (CT) may serve as a biomarker for systemic vascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare choroidal thickness (CT) between SLE patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate the influence of disease duration, activity, medication, and comorbidities on CT in SLE.
• To assess choroidal vascular responses to hemodynamic changes in SLE.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging used for CT measurement at 13 locations.
• Linear regression models applied for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• SLE patients exhibited thinner CT in most locations compared to controls, though not statistically significant.
• Absence of normal topographic variation in CT within the macula of SLE patients.
• Anticoagulant use and lupus nephritis were significantly associated with thinner CT in SLE patients.
• Choroidal thickness in SLE patients did not show responsiveness to mean arterial pressure changes, unlike controls.

Conclusions:

• Choroidal thickness is reduced in SLE patients, particularly those with lupus nephritis and on anticoagulants, suggesting compromised vascular health.
• Altered choroidal responses to hemodynamic fluctuations may occur in SLE.
• CT may reflect the extent of systemic vascular disease in SLE.