Sex Hormone Profiles And Their Association With Corneal Tomographic And Biomechanical Parameters In Keratoconus
Published 2026 - 44th Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: PP14.12 | Type: Poster | DOI: 10.82333/6d2v-hb80
Authors: A/Prof. Konstantinos Droutsas 1 , Dr Iasonas Makrypoulias 1 , A/Prof. Irini Chatziralli 2 , Mr Konstantinos Panagiotopoulos 3 , Dr Stylianos A Kandarakis 1 , A/Prof. Petros Petrou 1 , A/Prof. Anke Messerschmidt-Roth 4 , Dr Theodoros Arvanitis 1 , Dr Maria Evanthia Sotirianakou* 1 , A/Prof. Dimitris Papaconstantinou 1
11st Department of Ophthalmology,General Hospital of Athens ‘Georgios Gennimatas’, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens,Athens,Greece, 22nd Department of Ophthalmology,Panepistemiako Geniko Nosokomeio Attikon, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens,Athens,Greece, 3Biochemistry Laboratory,General Hospital of Athens ‘Georgios Gennimatas’, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens,Athens,Greece, 4Department of Ophthalmology,University Hospital Marburg,Marburg,Germany
Purpose
Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive ectatic corneal disorder with multifactorial pathogenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that systemic hormonal factors may contribute to disease development and progression. This study aimed to investigate the association between circulating sex hormones and gonadotropins with keratoconus, and to explore their potential relationship with corneal tomographic and biomechanical parameters in a Greek population.
Setting
Cornea Service, 1st Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Athens “Georgios Gennimatas”, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 104 patients with KC and 71 healthy controls underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation including slit-lamp examination, Pentacam HR tomography, and Ocular Response Analyzer assessment. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (TES), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and progesterone (PRG) were also measured. Hormone levels were analyzed in relation to disease presence, age, sex, treatment modality, and corneal tomographic and biomechanical parameters. Non-parametric statistical analyses and regression models were applied.
Results
LH showed positive correlations with corneal biomechanical parameters. KC patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty exhibited higher FSH levels and a reduced LH/FSH ratio compared with those treated with corneal cross-linking. E2 levels were increased in women with KC over 45 years of age, while PRL correlated with Kmax and Q-value. Men with KC demonstrated reduced TES associated with corneal morphology and biomechanics, increased PRG levels, and reduced DHEA-S in keratoplasty-treated patients.
Conclusions
Sex hormones and gonadotropins appear to be associated with corneal morphology and biomechanics in keratoconus, supporting a possible systemic hormonal component in disease pathophysiology. Sex-specific hormonal alterations may influence corneal structure and disease severity.