Changes in choroidal thickness and volume are related to urinary albumin excretion in type 2 diabetic patients without retinopathy

Figures & data

Figure 1 OCT scan of the choroid using Spectralis.

Note: Choroidal thickness was measured in the fovea and at 500 μm intervals nasal and temporal to the fovea (yellow lines).
Abbreviation: OCT, optical coherence tomography.

Table 1 Characteristics of subjects

Characteristics	Diabetic patients		Controls (n=21)	P-value
	Microalbuminuria (n=19)	Normal UAE (n=18)
Women (%)	11 (57.9)	10 (55.5)	12 (57.1)	0.307
Age (years)	61.8±8.1	60.2±5.8	59.2±6.3	0.136
Systemic hypertension (%)	14 (73.7)	13 (72.2)	14 (6.7)	0.062
Duration of DM (years)	9.7±3.6	11.0±4.1	NA	0.122
HbA1c (%)	8.1±1.7	7.7±1.2	NA	0.105
Urinary albumin excretion (mg/L)	75±31.8	8.2±3.5	NA	<0.001

Note: Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation or number (percentage).

Abbreviations: DM, diabetes mellitus; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; NA, not applicable; UAE, urinary albumin excretion.

Table 2 Mean choroidal thickness between groups in 10 locations

Distance from the fovea (μm)	Diabetic patients		P-valuea	Controls (n=21)	P-valueb
	Microalbuminuria (n=19)	Normal UAE (n=18)
Subfoveal	199.1±52.7	269.7±81.2	0.024	296.3±63.7	0.001
Nasal 500	198.5±60.8	254.0±91.9	0.109	286.8±51.3	0.005
Nasal 1,000	181.4±61.7	235.2±96.5	0.165	282.1±64.0	0.003
Nasal 1,500	157.1±46.8	193.5±84.7	0.329	260.7±60.6	<0.001
Nasal 2,000	132.4±33.3	139.5±49.7	0.940	238.7±72.6	<0.001
Temporal 500	182.3±39.3	256.7±81.2	0.011	291.1±64.7	<0.001
Temporal 1,000	174.0±41.1	231.9±70.6	0.039	283.1±62.5	<0.001
Temporal 1,500	183.6±51.5	247.1±74.7	0.040	267.7±67.6	0.004
Temporal 2,000	169.9±42.9	231.8±73.0	0.028	259.5±60.6	0.001
Temporal 2,500	165.4±46.5	204.0±67.9	0.210	248.2±59.1	0.002

Notes: Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation.

a ANOVA post hoc test between diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and normal UAE.

b ANOVA post hoc test between diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and controls.

Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; UAE, urinary albumin excretion.

Figure 2 Sectorized analysis of choroidal thickness using the ETDRS macular grid.

Abbreviations: CS, central subfield; ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study; II, inner inferior; IN, inner nasal; IS, inner superior; IT, inner temporal; OI, outer inferior; ON, outer nasal; OS, outer superior; OT, outer temporal; UAE, urinary albumin excretion.

Figure 3 Graphic showing average choroidal volume in the macula in each group.

Abbreviations: ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study; UAE, urinary albumin excretion.

Figure 4 Colored topographic map of thickness of the posterior pole generated manually from (A) controls, (B) normal UAE group and (C) microalbuminuric group.

Abbreviation: UAE, urinary albumin excretion.

Figure 5 Thickness difference map of controls compared to (A) normal UAE group and (B) microalbuminuric group.

Abbreviation: UAE, urinary albumin excretion.