Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the potential risk factors associated with nuclear, cortical, posterior subcapsular, and anterior polar cataracts (APC) in the Korean population.Research Design and MethodsThis was a population-based, cross-sectional study of 7992 adults (over 40 years of age) from the data of the fourth annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, performed from 2007 to 2009. The presence of lens opacity was examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and evaluated according to LOCS II standard photographs. The subtype of cataract present, including nuclear, cortical, posterior subcapsular, and anterior polar cataracts, was noted. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for association of each specific type of cataract with age, sex, health examination, and medical history.ResultsThe prevalence of nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataract increased gradually with increasing age. However, the prevalence of APC peaked in the 50- to 59-year-old subjects. All types of cataract except for APCs were more prevalent in women. Oral steroid use was associated with a lower risk of APC.ConclusionsThese findings showed the unique characteristics of APC in the Korean population.
Highlights
Cataracts are the principal cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide, making it necessary from the public health standpoint to identify risk factors for their development and progression [1,2,3]
These findings showed the unique characteristics of anterior polar cataracts (APC) in the Korean population
We have previously shown that the cataractous lens epithelial cells (LECs) of anterior subcapsular cataracts are transdifferentiated into spindle-shaped fibroblast-like cells without cellular junctions and are embedded within a fibrillar meshwork mass [17]
Summary
Cataracts are the principal cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide, making it necessary from the public health standpoint to identify risk factors for their development and progression [1,2,3]. There is a unique type of cataract with focal opacity at the anterior capsulolenticular area that develops in early adulthood in otherwise healthy Korean patients (Fig. 1(A), (B), and (C)). APC is not well documented even in other Asian countries and is considered unique to Koreans. Lens epithelial cells in the anterior subcapsular area fail to migrate to the equatorial area, resulting in the accumulation of several layers of proliferating cells in the anterior subcapsular area. This change is different from the changes in lens fiber proteins in other types of cataracts
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