Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41324325›Full record

ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2025

Macular Microaneurysms Are Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease and Deep Capillary Plexus Ischemia in Referable Diabetic Retinopathy.

Shinji Kakihara, Kallista Zhuang, Anna Busza, Amani A Fawzi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Shinji KakiharaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Kallista ZhuangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Anna BuszaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Amani A FawziDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Funding

Cellular-level Vascular Oculomics (CVO) for monitoring systemic vascular healthOT2OD038128 · OD · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI Stephen A Burns, Amani A Fawzi · 2024 to 2026
$4.8M
Monitoring the hemodynamic response to therapy in diabetic retinopathyR01EY031815 · NEI · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI FAWZI, AMANI A · 2020 to 2023
$1.9M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY031815NIH HHS OT2 OD038128
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To identify retinal and systemic factors linked to macular microaneurysms (MAs) in referable diabetic retinopathy (refDR). Methods: Eighty-three eyes from 65 patients with refDR without diabetic macular edema underwent multiple 3 × 3-mm optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scans. The scans were averaged, and OCTA metrics were calculated, including vessel length density in the deep capillary plexus (VLD-DCP). Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography was used to extract macular MA count within a 3-mm circle centered on the fovea and the nonperfusion index (NPI) across the entire visible retina. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 months. Linear mixed models were used to assess the relationships with MA count, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis evaluated MA diagnostic performance for detecting CKD. Results: The median MA count was 6 (interquartile range, 2-12). In univariate analysis, macular MA count was significantly associated with CKD, NPI, and several OCTA parameters. In multivariable models adjusting for age, sex, CKD, NPI, and one OCTA parameter per model, CKD (P = 0.007-0.013) and VLD-DCP (P = 0.003) remained independently associated with MA count. A threshold of 14 macular MAs yielded the highest Youden index for CKD, with a sensitivity of 58.8%, a specificity of 86.4%, and an area under the curve of 0.755. Conclusions: CKD and reduced VLD-DCP were independently associated with higher macular MA count in refDR, suggesting that MA count may serve as a marker for systemic microvascular disease.

Indexed as

Diabetic RetinopathyIschemiaMacula LuteaMicroaneurysmRenal Insufficiency, ChronicRetinal VesselsAgedCapillariesFemaleFluorescein AngiographyFundus OculiGlomerular Filtration RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID41324325
PMCPMC12697690

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.