Myopic eyes have thinner ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer

The ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) is considerably thinner in myopic eyes, a new China study has found. The deterioration in GCIPL may be an indicator for the progression of myopia.

The study included 348 eyes from 348 participants, in whom the GCIPL thickness was measured using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Subfoveal choroidal thickness, axial length, and spherical equivalents were also measured.

A total of 312 participants (mean age, 25.99±1.73 years; 62.2 percent female) were myopes, while the remaining 36 (mean age, 25.78±2.27 years; 38.9 percent female) had no refractive errors. Average GCIPL thickness was significantly lower among the myopic participants (82.65±4.96 vs 87.89±3.65 µm; p<0.001).

Similarly, the central subfoveal choroidal thickness was significantly greater among emmetropes vs myopes (330.57±9.43 vs 265.98±4.12 µm; p<0.001).

Multivariate-adjusted linear regression analysis further confirmed that a lower GCIPL thickness was a significant risk factor for myopia (odds ratio [OR], 0.863, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.785–0.949; p=0.002). Increased axial length and intraocular pressure also emerged as risk factors.

Of all the factors assessed, average GCIPL thickness was the second-best variable for the prediction of myopia, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.804 (p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity values were 83.3 percent and 66.7 percent, respectively. Axial length had the highest predictive value (AUC, 0.830; p<0.001; sensitivity: 84.9 percent; specificity: 38.9 percent).