Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42396532›Full record

ArticleResearch square2026

Validation of Deep Capillary Plexus OCTA Metrics as Predictors of Diabetic Retinopathy Complications: A One-Year Longitudinal Study.

Julia Greenwood, Shinji Kakihara, Anna Busza, Amani Fawzi

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Julia GreenwoodNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Shinji KakiharaNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Anna BuszaNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Amani FawziNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

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

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) can lead to vision-threatening complications, and tools that capture microvascular damage beyond standard clinical grading of disease severity may improve risk prediction. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) quantifies retinal perfusion, but its prognostic value in referable DR is not fully established. We aimed to validate baseline deep capillary plexus (DCP) OCTA metrics for predicting one-year complications in eyes with referable DR. In this prospective longitudinal study in 137 eyes of 96 participants, we assessed baseline predictors of DR complications, defined as best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) loss (≥ 10 letters on the ETDRS chart), center-involving diabetic macular edema, anti-VEGF injections, pan-retinal photocoagulation, or vitreous hemorrhage. Baseline variables included BCVA, low-luminance visual acuity (LLVA), ocular parameters, demographic characteristics, systemic variables, and OCTA metrics (foveal avascular zone area, vessel density [VD] and geometric perfusion deficit in the superficial capillary plexuses [SCP] and [DCP]). Logistic regression prioritized variables with pathophysiologic relevance while minimizing risk of collinearity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed whether DCP OCTA metrics improved discrimination beyond a clinical model with traditional risk factors. Over one year, 34 eyes (24.8%) experienced one or more complications. Multivariate analysis including DR severity, DCP VD, and LLVA identified higher baseline DR severity (OR, 5.77; 95% CI: 1.93 to 17.27; P = 0.002) and lower DCP VD (OR, 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.95; P = 0.031) as significant predictors. Adding DCP VD to the clinical model significantly improved discrimination. These findings support DCP OCTA metrics as capillary-level biomarkers for risk stratification in referable DR and highlight the need for larger longitudinal studies to confirm clinical utility.

Indexed as

deep capillary plexusdiabetic retinopathyoptical coherence tomography angiographyretinal ischemiavessel density

Identifiers

PMID42396532
PMCPMC13321277

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.