{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T02:51:19Z","timestamp":1781491879756,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"12","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Br J Ophthalmol"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background\/aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Macrophage-like cells (MLCs) contribute to retinal immune homeostasis and support neuronal function. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between MLCs and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness in healthy eyes, assessing potential influences of age and sex.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective study included 97 eyes of 49 healthy individuals. GCL thickness was measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), while MLCs were identified and counted from 6\u00d76\u2009mm swept-source OCT-angiography images processed with FIJI software. MLCs were quantified in four macular quadrants (superior, inferior, nasal and temporal). Correlation, stratified analyses and quadratic regression models were applied to explore associations between GCL thickness and MLC count, incorporating age and sex as covariates.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Correlation coefficients between GCL thickness and MLC count were negative but weak. ANOVA revealed significant differences across GCL quartiles for MLC count in the inferior (p=0.013) and temporal (p=0.005) quadrants. Post hoc analyses demonstrated that MLC count peaked at moderate GCL thickness and declined at lower or higher thicknesses. Quadratic regression confirmed a bell-shaped relationship. Including age and sex-improved model fit: older age correlated with higher MLC count in the inferior quadrant, and sex differences were observed in the temporal quadrant. However, model R\u00b2 values remained modest (&lt;10%).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In healthy eyes, MLC distribution shows a non-linear, bell-shaped association with GCL thickness, peaking at moderate GCL values. Age and sex further modulate MLC count. These findings suggest a tightly regulated neuroimmune environment in the healthy retina and may provide a baseline for detecting early neuroinflammatory or neurodegenerative changes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo-2025-327813","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]],"date-time":"2025-07-22T17:20:28Z","timestamp":1753204828000},"page":"1363-1369","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Relationship of macrophage-like cells and retinal ganglion cells in healthy eyes"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"109","author":[{"given":"Matteo","family":"Belletti","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant\u2019Orsola, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0055-9547","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ester","family":"Carre\u00f1o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanny","family":"Perez Jimenez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7357-4166","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Pichi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE"},{"name":"Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025112002101395000_109.12.1363.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2021.624983","article-title":"Glial Cells in Glaucoma: Friends, Foes, and Potential Therapeutic Targets","volume":"12","author":"Garc\u00eda-Berm\u00fadez","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Neurol"},{"key":"2025112002101395000_109.12.1363.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1948","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox10121948","article-title":"Role of Oxidative Stress in Ocular Diseases Associated with Retinal Ganglion Cells Degeneration","volume":"10","author":"Kang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Antioxidants (Basel)"},{"key":"2025112002101395000_109.12.1363.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1242\/dev.196535","article-title":"Retinal ganglion cell interactions shape the developing mammalian visual system","volume":"147","author":"D\u2019Souza","year":"2020","journal-title":"Development"},{"key":"2025112002101395000_109.12.1363.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Skytt DM , Toft-Kehler AK , Br\u00e6ndstrup CT , et al . 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