Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images

Background: Keratoconus (KC) is a corneal disease that causes changes in corneal topography, leading to central/paracentral cone formation, which affects visual acuity. Methods: We studied in vivo optical cohere...

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Main Authors: Frederick H Silver, Dominick Benedetto, Tanmay Deshmukh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IMR Press 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark
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Online Access:https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/30/6/10.31083/FBL38750
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author Frederick H Silver
Dominick Benedetto
Tanmay Deshmukh
author_facet Frederick H Silver
Dominick Benedetto
Tanmay Deshmukh
author_sort Frederick H Silver
collection DOAJ
description Background: Keratoconus (KC) is a corneal disease that causes changes in corneal topography, leading to central/paracentral cone formation, which affects visual acuity. Methods: We studied in vivo optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of normal and KC corneas images. The relative cellular and collagen content in the control and KC human corneas was measured by collecting OCT images and then dividing the images into low (green), medium (blue), and high pixel intensity (red) subchannel images. The green image was used to evaluate the cellular content in the cornea, the blue image presented information on the collagen content, and the red image provided information on both the cellular and collagen contents. Results: These results suggest that the cellular and collagen contents decrease with increased corneal depth in KC, while the collagen content appears to reduce as changes in the keratocyte content occur. Conclusion: This study proposes that using the green, blue, and red subchannel OCT images may be an effective method for detecting KC and other corneal diseases earlier, before observing changes in corneal topography, and that these images can be collected remotely using telemedicine.
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spelling doaj-art-33e3c82b185e4ff8b3968c3f4a37f3cf2025-08-20T02:42:53ZengIMR PressFrontiers in Bioscience-Landmark2768-67012025-06-013063875010.31083/FBL38750S2768-6701(25)01746-0Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel ImagesFrederick H Silver0Dominick Benedetto1Tanmay Deshmukh2Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USACenter for Advanced Eye Care, Vero Beach, FL 32960, USAOptovibronex, LLC, Ben Franklin Tech Ventures, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USABackground: Keratoconus (KC) is a corneal disease that causes changes in corneal topography, leading to central/paracentral cone formation, which affects visual acuity. Methods: We studied in vivo optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of normal and KC corneas images. The relative cellular and collagen content in the control and KC human corneas was measured by collecting OCT images and then dividing the images into low (green), medium (blue), and high pixel intensity (red) subchannel images. The green image was used to evaluate the cellular content in the cornea, the blue image presented information on the collagen content, and the red image provided information on both the cellular and collagen contents. Results: These results suggest that the cellular and collagen contents decrease with increased corneal depth in KC, while the collagen content appears to reduce as changes in the keratocyte content occur. Conclusion: This study proposes that using the green, blue, and red subchannel OCT images may be an effective method for detecting KC and other corneal diseases earlier, before observing changes in corneal topography, and that these images can be collected remotely using telemedicine.https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/30/6/10.31083/FBL38750epithelial cellskeratocytescollagenkeratoconusoctpixel intensityoct channel subchannel images
spellingShingle Frederick H Silver
Dominick Benedetto
Tanmay Deshmukh
Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images
Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark
epithelial cells
keratocytes
collagen
keratoconus
oct
pixel intensity
oct channel subchannel images
title Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images
title_full Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images
title_fullStr Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images
title_full_unstemmed Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images
title_short Changes in Corneal Keratocytes and Collagen Fibrils as an Indicator of Keratoconus Onset: A Preliminary Study Based on OCT Subchannel Images
title_sort changes in corneal keratocytes and collagen fibrils as an indicator of keratoconus onset a preliminary study based on oct subchannel images
topic epithelial cells
keratocytes
collagen
keratoconus
oct
pixel intensity
oct channel subchannel images
url https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/30/6/10.31083/FBL38750
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AT dominickbenedetto changesincornealkeratocytesandcollagenfibrilsasanindicatorofkeratoconusonsetapreliminarystudybasedonoctsubchannelimages
AT tanmaydeshmukh changesincornealkeratocytesandcollagenfibrilsasanindicatorofkeratoconusonsetapreliminarystudybasedonoctsubchannelimages