Molecular-level differentiation of myopic corneal tissue using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis

Abstract

Myopia, a prevalent refractive error characterized by excessive axial elongation of the eyeball, is associated with significant visual and societal burdens. While advances in imaging and mechanical studies have elucidated the morphological characteristics of myopic corneas, molecular-level investigations remain limited. This study employed Raman spectroscopy, a label-free analytical technique, to explore biochemical differences in corneal stromal tissues from patients with low and high myopia undergoing small incision lenticule extraction surgery. Spectral analysis revealed distinct variations in carbohydrate metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and extracellular matrix remodeling, suggesting their critical roles in myopic corneal pathogenesis. Using principal component analysis-linear discriminant analysis, a robust classification model achieved 79.7% accuracy with an AUC value of 0.811, underscoring the potential of Raman spectroscopy for myopia diagnostics. These findings provide insights into the molecular underpinnings of myopic corneas and pave the way for future investigations into targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.