PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATIONS OF MYELINATED RETINAL NERVE FIBERS: Results From the Population-Based Gutenberg Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence, ocular, and systemic associations of myelinated retinal nerve fibers (MRNF) in a Caucasian cohort.


METHODS
The Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) is a population-based, prospective cohort study encompassing 15,010 subjects in Germany. Gutenberg Health Study participants, aged 35 to 74 years, stratified for gender, decades of age, and residence were examined for ophthalmologic and systemic conditions. Optic disc centered and macular photographs were reviewed for the presence of MRNF.


RESULTS
In 25,728 eyes of 12,906 participants (86.0% of the cohort), the prevalence of MRNF was 0.4%. In a binary logistic regression analysis, MRNF was positively associated with history of stroke (OR, 6.8; 95% CI, 2.9-16.1; P < 0.001). Myelinated retinal nerve fibers was not associated with age, sex, cardiovascular conditions other than stroke or ocular parameters, such as refraction, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, or central corneal thickness.


CONCLUSIONS
This population-based study provides novel data on the prevalence of MRNF in Western Europe. We report a positive association between history of stroke and MRNF. It adds an additional retinal sign for stroke and calls for further studying of the behavior of oligodendrocytes within cerebrovascular diseases.
*Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; †NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; §Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; ¶Department of Biostatistics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; and **Dardenne Eye Hospital, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Germany.
Hisham
H
Elbaz
Tunde
T
Peto
Christina
C
Butsch
Elias
E
Orouji
Dagmar
D
Laubert-Reh
Katharina A
KA
Ponto
Harald
H
Binder
Norbert
N
Pfeiffer
Alireza
A
Mirshahi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D016015:Logistic Models; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000294:innervation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity