Application of optical coherence tomography angiography in donor selection in xenocorneal transplantation / 眼科新进展

ABSTRACT

Objeetive To compare the thickness of corneal epithelium and full-thickness of the cornea among New Zealand rabbits,cats and the human using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) technology as to explore the morphological basis for different animals as experimental models of xenocorneal transplantation.Methods Totally selected 12 New Zealand male rabbits and 12 male cats were included in this study and divided into group A and B.Then the thickness of corneal epithelium and full-thickness of the cornea of both eyes in the two groups were measured with OCTA technology,and according to the distance from the center of the cornea,the cornea was divided into 17 areas by System software.The center of the cornea was a diameter of 2 mm around the center of the cornea,with the inner ring and outer ring of 5 mm and 6 mm in diameter,respectively;and the inner and outer ring region was again divided into 8 areas,including superior side (S),superior nose side (SN),nasal side (N),inferior nose side (IN),inferior side (I),inferior temporal side (IT),temporal side (T),superior temporal side (ST).Then the thickness of corneal epithelium and full-thickness of the cornea in each region were measured for comparing the difference of New Zealand rabbits' and cats' corneal thickness with the human's.Results The thickness of corneal epithelium and full-thickness of the cornea of cats were both thicker than those of rabbits.The full-thickness of the cats' cornea became thinner from the central to the peripheral side,and the difference of thickness between the T5,ST5,S5,SN5,N5 areas and the central of the cornea was statistically significant (all P ＜0.05);the thickness of corneal epithelium in the ST5,S5,SN5 areas was significantly thicker than the central area (all P ＜0.05);And this was true of the rabbits' full-thickness of the cornea,and the difference in the full-thickness of the cornea between the T5,IT5,IN5,N5,T6,N6 area and the central region was statistically significant (all P ＜ 0.05);meanwhile there were also significant difference in the thickness of corneal epithelium between the ST5,S5,SN5,ST6,S6,SN6 areas and the central area (all P ＜ 0.05).Additionally,there were significant differences in the thickness of corneal epithelium and full-thickness of the cornea between the two experimental animals and humans (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The cornea of cats possesses similar regions in corneal full-thickness and epithelial thickness as well as the distribution to human cornea,so cats have superiority to the rabbits for the potential donor of xenocorneal transplantation in human beings.