Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40355844›Full record

ArticleBMC ophthalmology2025

Application of SS-OCTA to evaluate the effects of long-term hydroxychloroquine treatment on retinal structure and microcirculation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Xuemei Li, Chao Xiong, Shuilin Luo, Yunxiu Chen, Min Li, Siyi Wang, Yaohua Wang, Zhilin Wang, Rui Wu, Hongfei Liao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

10 authors.

Xuemei Li *Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3844-3443
Chao Xiong *Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2042-2983
Shuilin LuoDepartment of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwaizheng Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
Yunxiu ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
Min LiDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
Siyi WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
Yaohua WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
Zhilin WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
Rui WuDepartment of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwaizheng Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China. tcmclinic@163.com.
Hongfei LiaoDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 463 Bayi Avenue of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China. lhfzf@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

proposeThe application of swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) technique is used to detect the effects of long-term use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on retinal structure and microcirculation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) before visual dysfunction occurs.

methodsRetrospective case-control study. A total of 73 SLE patients (73 eyes) who had taken HCQ regularly for a long period of time were included as the SLE patient group, while 21 healthy individuals (21 eyes) were included as the control group. Based on the duration of HCQ use (HCQ course), the SLE patient group was divided into baseline group (6 months ≤ medication time < 1 year), low-risk group ( 1 year ≤ medication time < 5 years), and high-risk group (medication time ≥ 5 years). All participants underwent bilateral SS-OCTA macular imaging (6 mm*6 mm), slit-lamp examination, non-contact tonometry, computerized visual field (30 - 2) test, and fundus autofluorescence imaging (FAF).

resultsCompared among the groups, the full-layer retinal thickness and superficial blood vessel density of the fovea, below the inner circle, temporal side of the outer circle and above the outer circle decreased in the macular area (6 mm*6 mm) in high-risk group of SLE patients, while the area and circumference of FAZ increased (P < 0.0125). Correlation analysis suggested that the duration of SLE disease and HCQ cumulative dose were negatively correlated with superficial retinal capillary plexus vessel density (SCP-VD) in the three regions of inner retina, full-layer retinal thickness in the fovea, fovea, temporal side of the inner circle, and above the inner circle (r < 0,P < 0.05), and positively correlated with the area and circumference of FAZ (r > 0,P < 0.05).

conclusionAnalysis by SS-OCTA examination showed that long-term HCQ treatment had adverse effects on the inner retina, SCP-VD and FAZ parameters in subclinical SLE patients without visual impairment.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsHydroxychloroquineLupus Erythematosus, SystemicMicrocirculationRetinaRetinal DiseasesRetinal VesselsTomography, Optical CoherenceAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleFluorescein AngiographyFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedAntirheumatic AgentsHydroxychloroquineHydroxychloroquineRetinal structure and microcirculationSS-OCTASystemic lupus erythematosus

Identifiers

PMID40355844
PMCPMC12070774

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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 OpenQuestion graph.