Comparison of the macular vascular densities between molecularly confirmed MODY patients with GCK variants and age-matched healthy controls

Abstract Background: Several structural, vascular density and perfusion studies were conducted in type 1 and 2 diabetes, even in the absence of retinopathy. The current study is the first to compare macular vessel densities (VD) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) between maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) patients and healthy controls. Methods: The macular VD of superficial, deep retina, and choriocapillaris, and central macular thickness (CMT), foveal avascular zone area (FAZ), FAZ perimetry, VD of total retina at 300µm around the FAZ (FD), acirculatory index (AI) measurements were captured by the OCTA, which operates with built into software (RTVue-XR100-2 Avanti, Angiovue), and were compared between molecularly confirmed (GCK mutations) MODY patients and controls. Results: Twenty-five MODY patients and 30 controls were included. Mean plasma HbA1c level of the MODY group was 6.39±0.38 (min:5,4 max:6,9, %). Average age was 13.8±2.1 in the MODY group, and was 12.6±2.5 years among controls. There was no significant difference in terms of age, superficial and deep retinal VD, FAZ, FAZ perimetry, CMT, FD, and AI between groups. Significant increase of VD only at the parafoveal and perifoveal regions of choriocapillaris in the MODY group was observed (P=0.034 and P=0.009). Conclusion: No significant difference of macular VD was observed between non-retinopathic MODY patients and controls, except VD of choriocapillaris at the parafovea and perifovea. Previous thickness and VD results were distributed in a wider range suggesting not yet defined factors may be affecting the choroidal vasculature independent of glycemia or as a contributing factor.