title: Corneal endothelial morphology and central thickness in patients with type II diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate corneal endothelial cell density and morphology in type II diabetic and non-diabetic patients and to relate potential differences to the glycaemic status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective clinical study including 107 patients with type II diabetes and 128 non-diabetic patients. Sample size was based on a power calculation (power = 0.90; p = 0.05). The diabetic patients had on average more than four HbA1c tests performed (mean 4.1; range 2-14) with intervals of at least 3 months as a reflection of the long-term glycaemic status. The controls had no diabetes confirmed by two causal blood tests. The endothelial cell density, the variation in endothelial cell size (CV), the percentage of hexagonal cells, and the central corneal thickness (CCT) were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Type II diabetic subjects did not differ from the non-diabetic control subjects with regards to endothelial cell density, hexagonality or variation in CV, but showed a significant increase in CCT (538 versus 546 μm, p < 0.05). In the diabetic group, lower cell counts were associated with higher HbA1c values (p < 0.05). The HbA1c did not, however, have any impact on the CCT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type II diabetes has no impact on corneal cell density or morphology in subjects with good glycaemic status. However, higher HbA1c was associated with lower endothelial cell density. CCT was significantly increased in the diabetic group.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Frederiksberg University Hospital, Frederiksberg, DenmarkRoskilde Eye Clinic, Roskilde, Denmark.
authors: Allan
authors: A
authors: Storr-Paulsen
authors: Amardeep
authors: A
authors: Singh
authors: Helene
authors: H
authors: Jeppesen
authors: Jens C
authors: JC
authors: Norregaard
authors: Jesper
authors: J
authors: Thulesen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: central corneal thickness; corneal endothelial cells; diabetes mellitus type II; glycaemic status; morphology