Association between Corneal Endothelial Cell Density and Topical Glaucoma Medication Use in an Eye Bank Donor Population

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the association between corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and donor topical glaucoma medication use in an eye bank database.

Methods: Raw eye bank data included 19,159 donors over the period July 2007 to May 2015. Free-text, donor medication lists were retrospectively searched for glaucoma medication. Exclusion criteria were age less than 40 years, history of eye surgery, endothelial trauma, guttae, and cell densities <1000 or >3300/mm(2). Analysis of covariance was used to test differences in cell density between groups while adjusting for age. Linear regression was used to test the correlation of independent interval variables while adjusting for age.

Results: Twelve thousand one hundred fifty-seven donors were included in the final analysis; 134 were on topical glaucoma medication. The mean ECD for donors not on glaucoma medication and pooled donors on glaucoma medication was 2561 +/- 348 and 2516 +/- 320 cells/mm(2), respectively (P = 0.42). Subgroup analysis by medication class resulted in nonstatistically significant differences between ECDs of nonmedicated donors and donors on alpha agonists (P = 0.76), beta blockers (P = 0.90), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (P = 0.13), cholinergics (P = 0.37), and prostaglandin analogs (P = 0.62). The number of glaucoma medication classes used by donors was not a statistically significant predictor of endothelial density (P = 0.298).

Conclusions: Donors on topical glaucoma medication do not have ECDs statistically significantly lower than donors not on medication.