Association between choroidal thickness and interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate choroidal thickness (CT) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy controls and to determine its relationship with RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

Patients and methods: A total of 63 patients with RA and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited in the cross-sectional study. Serological findings, Disease Activity Score-28, disease duration, and medical treatment of patients were recorded. Patients with RA were subdivided into two groups: patients with RA-ILD (Group 1) and patients with RA but without ILD (RA-noILD; Group 2). CTs were measured using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. CT was measured at five points: the subfoveal region, 750 μm nasal and temporal to the fovea, 1500 μm nasal and temporal to the fovea. Patients with RA-ILD were evaluated with delta high-resolution computed tomography (ΔHRCT) and pulmonary function test to determine the severity of interstitial lung disease.

Results: Four of 63 RA patients were excluded due to comorbidities. Thus, 59 RA patients, 20 in the RA-ILD group and 39 in the RA-noILD group, were included in the analyses. The RA groups were similar in terms of clinical characteristics and laboratory findings. There were statistically significant differences between Group 1, Group 2 and healthy controls (Group 3) compared to all CT values (p<0.05). The mean CT measured at 750 μm and 1500 μm nasal to the fovea was lowest in the RA-ILD group, followed by the RA-noILD and healthy groups (p<0.05). CT measurements did not correlate with the pulmonary function test and ΔHRCT.

Conclusion: RA-ILD patients had a thinner CT measured at nasal points. However, there was no association between CT measurements and the severity of ILD.

Citation: Kaymaz S, Savurmuş N, Karasu U, Kaya H, Ufuk F, Rüksan Ütebey A, et al. Association between choroidal thickness and interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study. Arch Rheumatol 2024;39(1):89-98. doi: 10.46497/ ArchRheumatol.2024.10116.

The study protocol was approved by the Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee (date: 15.06.21, no: 60116787-020-110161). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

A written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Data Sharing Statement: The data that suppo

Idea/concept: K.S., S.N.; Design: K.S.; Control/supervision: K.S., U.F., K.H.; Data collection and/or processing: K.S., C.V., U.F.; Analysis and/or interpretation: K.S., S.N., Y.M.; Literature review: K.S.; Writing the article: K.S., U.F., S.N., U.R.A.; Critical review: K.S., K.H., C.V.; References and fundings: K.S., Y.M., U.R.A.; Materials: K.S., S.N., K.U., K.H., C.V.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.