Choroid plexus volume as a marker of retinal atrophy in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

To evaluate choroid plexus (CP) volume as a biomarker for predicting clinical disability and retinal layer atrophy in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Ninety-five RRMS patients and 26 healthy controls (HCs) underwent 3 T whole brain MRI, expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Fully automated intra-retinal segmentation was performed to obtain the volumes of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), combined ganglion cell layer -inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), outer nuclear layer (ONL), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), total macular volume (TMV) and papillomacular bundle (PMB). Automated segmentation of the CP within the lateral ventricles was performed and the choroid plexus volume (CPV) was normalized by total intracranial volume (TIV). Linear regression analysis and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were applied to evaluate relationships between nCPV and EDSS, T2 lesion volume, disease duration, and retinal layer volumes, followed by Bonferroni correction analysis for multiple comparisons.

RRMS patients had larger tChPV compared to HCs (p < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction, there was a significant positive correlation between tChPV and EDSS (r² = 0.25, p = 0.0002), disease duration (r² = 0.30, p = 0.01), and T2 lesion volume (r² = 0.39, p = 0.0000). A robust negative correlation was found between tChPV and RNFL (p < 0.001), GCIPL (p = 0.003), TMV (p = 0.0185), PMB (p < 0.0001), G (p = 0.04), T(p = 0.0001).

Our findings support the association of tChPV with disability and altered retinal integrity in RRMS.