Corneal endothelial cell density and its correlation with birth weight, anthropometric parameters, and ocular biometric parameters in Chinese school children.

Background: To describe the distribution of corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), and to explore its correlation with birth weight (BW), anthropometric parameters, and ocular biometric parameters in Chinese school children.

Methods: In the population-based cross-sectional Nanjing Eye Study, children were measured for anthropometric information, for ECD by the noncontact specular microscope and for ocular biometric parameters by the optic low-coherent reflectometer. Data from right eyes were analyzed to illustrate the distribution of ECD and for determining correlated factors with ECD using univariate and multiple linear regression analysis. Comparisons among three different BW groups were performed using a one-way ANOVA analysis followed by the Bonferroni correction for pairwise comparisons.

Results: Of 1171 children, the mean (± standard deviation) ECD was 2875.34 ± 195.00 cells/mm. In the Multiple Linear Regression analysis, BW, gender and central corneal thickness were significantly associated with ECD. The ECD increased by 36.16 cells/mm with BW increasing by 1 kg (P = 0.001) and increased by 0.44 cells/mm for every additional 1 mm in central corneal thickness (P = 0.01). The ECD of girls was 54.41 cells/mm higher than boys (P < 0.001). Children born with low BW presented significantly lower ECD than those born with normal BW (P < 0.05) and high BW (P < 0.05). Age and axial length were not significantly associated with ECD (P = 0.06 and P = 0.21, respectively).

Conclusions: In Chinese school children aged 82 to 94 months, the ECD is positively correlated with BW and central corneal thickness, in which BW is a newly identified associated factor. It is like that gender plays an important role in ECD distribution while girls have relatively greater ECD than boys.