title: Corneal endothelial cell density and morphology and central corneal thickness in Guangxi Maonan and Han adolescent students of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the corneal endothelial cell density and morphology and central corneal thickness in the Guangxi Maonan and Han adolescent students of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Noncontact specular microscope (Topcon SP3000P, Tokyo, Japan) was performed in 133 adolescent students of Maonan nationality (M:F 54:79) and 105 adolescent students of Han nationality (M:F 50:55), 5 to 20y of age, who were randomly selected from 3 schools in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Parameters studied included endothelial cell density, mean cell area, coefficient of variation in cell size, percentage hexagonality and central corneal thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endothelial cell density, mean cell area, coefficient of variation in cell size, percentage hexagonality and central corneal thickness in the study population were (2969.50±253.93) cells/mm(2), (339.23±29.44) µm(2), (29.96±4.07) %, (64.58±9.41) % and (523.71±32.82) µm in Maonan and (2998.26±262.65) cells/mm(2), (336.11±30.07) µm(2), (29.89±5.03) %, (64.91±11.64) % and (524.39±33.15) µm in Han, respectively. No significant differences were observed in endothelial cell density, mean cell area, coefficient of variation in cell size, percentage hexagonality and central corneal thickness between Maonan and Han (P=0.615, 0.659, 0.528, 0.551, 0.999). In Maonan and Han, we found age was negatively correlated with endothelial cell density and percentage hexagonality and positively correlated with mean cell area and coefficient of variation in cell size. Negative correlation was also found between central corneal thickness and age in Han, whereas no correlation was found in Maonan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no differences between Maonan and Han in corneal endothelial cell density and morphology and central corneal thickness. In these two nationalities, there were statistically significant decrease in endothelial cell density and percentage hexagonality with increasing age and statistically significant increase in cell area and coefficient of variation in cell size with increasing age. Central corneal thinned with increasing age in Han, whereas difference did not attain statistical significance in Maonan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Mao
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Huanjiang 547100, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Zhua
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Huanjiang 547100, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Shao-Jian
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tan
keywords: Maonan; central corneal thickness; endothelial cell density; morphology