Abstract
Purpose :
Flavoprotein fluorescence (FPF) is a novel diagnostic method based on the ability to visualize the redox status of flavoproteins in the mitochondria in retinal imaging. Oxidized flavoproteins emit green autofluorescence, which can be measured by Ocumet Beacon (Ocuscience, Ann Arbor, MI). This is known to correlate with the metabolic stress of the cell. The study correlates the measurement of metabolic stress using FPF with the retinal structure in individuals with X-linked retinoschisis. The aim is to understand the effect of retinal splitting on retinal metabolic situation and to establish a basis for classifying responses to interventions.
Methods :
9 male subjects (25 ± 10 y/o) affected by XLRS, were recruited at the clinical unit for Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRD) in Tübingen. The subjects underwent Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT, Heidelberg Spectralis) of the central retina (15°x15°) and FPF imaging (OcuMet Beacon). Images from 18 eyes were analyzed individually in MATLAB. FPF values were calculated measuring the cumulative intensity of the values. Structural alterations of the retina were manually segmented for each of the OCT slides and then mapped on the equivalent infrared image of the retina. After co-registering the FPF image to the infrared image, 2 dimensional correlation coefficient were calculated using Pearson’s r.
Results :
FPF intensity values were 56.2 ± 23.6 which is increased in comparison to norm values of 20 to 45 for healthy age-matched adults. The percentage of the retinal area affected by structural alterations was in average 3.49% ± 3.05% of the tested retinal area. No direct correlation was found between the structural alterations mapped in the OCT and the FPF intensity values based on the co-registered images.
Conclusions :
Central retinoschisis in XLRS is connected to increased FPF values. However, the structural splitting of the retina was not reflected in the intensity values of the FPF imaging. These findings indicate that retinoschisis is not directly connected to the metabolic stress of the neuronal tissue. This observation could be important for interpreting results of future interventional trials.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.