Study highlights retinal oxygen metabolic differences in choroideremia and retinitis pigmentosa

Patients with choroideremia (CHM) exhibit significantly reduced retinal oxygen levels compared to those with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and healthy controls, according to a study. This reduction is likely due to choroidal degeneration in CHM, which compromises oxygen delivery to the retina.

The prospective observational study included 18 eyes from 9 patients with CHM, 77 eyes from 39 patients with RP, and 100 eyes from 53 healthy controls. Key metrics analyzed were arterial (A-SO2) and venular (V-SO2) oxygen saturation levels, and their difference (A-V SO2).

Eyes from patients with CHM demonstrated significantly lower arterial and venular oxygen saturation levels compared to patients with RP and controls. Patients with RP exhibited higher A-SO2 and V-SO2 values than controls. The A-V SO2, indicating retinal oxygen consumption, was notably reduced in eye with CHM, suggesting a hypoxic retinal environment likely due to extensive choroidal degeneration.

The researchers concluded that these insights may aid in understanding CHM pathogenesis and guide the design of future clinical trials for emerging therapies.

Reference
Prétot D, Della Volpe Waizel M, Kaminska K, et al. Retinal oxygen metabolic function in choroideremia and retinitis pigmentosa. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2024;doi: 10.1007/s00417-024-06659-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39394491.