To describe corneal endothelial cell density and morphology in cataract eyes in Danzhou city, Hainan province and analyze the influencing factors.

A cross-sectional study was performed.A total of 573 eyes of 573 cataract patients at Danzhou First People＇s Hospital, one of the Poverty Reduction Eye Centres of "Project Vision" , were enrolled from February to December in 2009.TOPCON non-contact corneal endothelial microscope was performed to measure the endothelial cell density, corneal central thickness (CCT), average endothelial cell area, maximum endothelial cell area, minimum endothelial cell area, cell area standard deviation, coefficient of variation in cell area, and percentage of hexagonality.The differences of the above parameters were compared among different genders, eyes and age groups, and the influencing factors were analyzed.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering the study cohort.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (No.09-007).

The average endothelial cell density of cataract patients was (2 533.00±366.674)/mm² (from 846 to 3 969/mm²), and the CCT was (501.150±31.666) μm.Age (P<0.01), CCT (P=0.013), maximum endothelial cell area (P=0.017), endothelial cell area standard deviation (P=0.011), coefficient of variation in endothelial cell area (P=0.001), percentage of hexagonality (P<0.01), and average endothelial cell area (P<0.01) were the major influencing factors of endothelial cell density.Endothelial cell density was significanly different in any two age groups (all at P<0.05). The endothelial cell density in cataract patients of 60-79 years old group and ≥80 years old group was lower than that of <60 years old group, whereas the endothelial cell density in patients ≥80 years old subgroups was higher than that in the 60-79 years subgroup, and the difference was statistically significant (all at P<0.01). Gender (P<0.01), endothelial cell area standard deviation (P=0.030), coefficient of variation in endothelial cell area (P=0.012) and endothelial cell density (P<0.01) were the main influencing factors of CCT.The CCT was (516.27±35.84)μm in male patients, which was significantly higher than (492.20±24.97)μm in female patients, the difference was statistically significant (t=89.205, P<0.01). The difference of other parameters between different genders was not statistically significant (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in corneal endothelium parameters between right and left eyes (P>0.05).

Corneal endothelial cell density varies with age, coefficient of variation in cell area, average endothelial cell area and percentage of hexagonality in cataract patients in Danzhou city.The aging degree of corneal endothelial cell is different in patients older than 60 years.

Cornea; Corneal endothelial cell; Corneal endothelial cell density; Biological measurement; Influencing factors