Short-term changes in retinal and choroidal microcirculation in healthy adults after voluntary blood donation_Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases

Authors：

Qin Luning ¹ , Yi Yue ¹ , Du Lanhan ² , Lin Song ¹ , Yu Zong ¹ , Yang Qianhui1 ¹ , Song Mengxue ¹ ,  Liu Wei ¹

1. Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin 300384, China;
2. School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300384, China;

Corresponding?author：

Liu Wei, Email: weiliu05@tmu.edu.cn

Keywords：

Voluntary blood donation; Optical coherence tomography angiography; Retina; Choroid; Microcirculation; Vessel density; Ocular perfusion pressure

DOI：

10.3760/cma.j.cn511434-20251127-00530

Video：

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Objective To investigate short-term changes in retinal and choroidal microcirculation in healthy adults after voluntary blood donation. Methods A prospective observational clinical study. Nine healthy volunteers (18 eyes) who donated blood voluntarily at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in August 2025 were included. Among them, 5 were male (10 eyes) and 4 were female (8 eyes); their age was (38.00±12.33) years old. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to scan the macular area within a 6 mm×6 mm range. The software of the instrument automatically divided the scanning area into three concentric circular regions centered on the fovea centralis: the central fovea region with a diameter of 1 mm, the perifoveal central fovea region ranging from 1 to 3 mm, and the perifoveal area surrounding the fovea with a diameter of 3 to 6 mm. Measurements of blood flow density in the fovea centralis region, perifoveal central fovea region, and perifoveal area surrounding the fovea at different retinal layers (the entire retinal layer, the choroidal capillary layer, and the medium choroidal blood vessel layer) were conducted 30 minutes before blood donation and 30, 120 minutes after blood donation. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and intraocular pressure were recorded, and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) was calculated. Repeated measurement data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Results There was no statistically significant difference in SBP, DBP, OPP and intraocular pressure among different blood donors at different measurement time points (P＞0.05). There was also no statistically significant difference in SBP, DBP and intraocular pressure among overall blood donors at different time points (P＞0.05); however, OPP significantly decreased at 120 minutes after blood donation, and the difference was statistically significant (F=5.380, P=0.02). Compared with 30 minutes before blood donation, the temporal blood flow density in the periphery of the paracentral fovea, the superior part and the surrounding area of the fovea in the peripheral area decreased significantly at 30 minutes after blood donation (F=3.920, 3.45,0 4.200; P=0.03, 0.04, 0.02), and recovered by 120 minutes. There was no statistically significant difference in the blood flow density of the entire retinal layer in the macular area and the large blood vessel layer in the choroid at different measurement time points among overall blood donors (P＞0.05). The correlation analysis results showed that there was no significant correlation between OPP at 30 minutes and 120 minutes after blood donation and the temporal blood flow density of the choroidal capillary layer in the temporal part of the periphery of the paracentral fovea, the superior part and the surrounding area of the fovea (r=0.037, 0.047, 0.187, ?0.027, 0.056, 0.156; P＞0.05). Conclusions There is no significant correlation between the blood flow density in the macular area of the retina and choroid and OPP. The mild and reversible changes in the choroidal microcirculation could occur.

Citation： Qin Luning, Yi Yue, Du Lanhan, Lin Song, Yu Zong, Yang Qianhui1, Song Mengxue, Liu Wei. Short-term changes in retinal and choroidal microcirculation in healthy adults after voluntary blood donation. Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases, 2026, 42(7): 559-565. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn511434-20251127-00530 Copy

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2.	Araz-Ersan HB, Sayin N, Bayramo?lu SE, et al. The effect of acute hypovolemia on the eye[J]. Curr Eye Res, 2018, 43(7): 949-954. DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2018.1453077.
3.	Luo X, Shen YM, Jiang MN, et al. Ocular blood flow autoregulation mechanisms and methods[J/OL]. J Ophthalmol, 2015, 2015: 864871[2015-10-21]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26576295/. DOI: 10.1155/2015/864871.
4.	Flammer J, Mozaffarieh M. Autoregulation, a balancing act between supply and demand[J]. Can J Ophthalmol, 2008, 43(3): 317-321. DOI: 10.3129/i08-056.
5.	Akahori T, Iwase T, Yamamoto K, et al. Changes in choroidal blood flow and morphology in response to increase in intraocular pressure[J]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2017, 58(12): 5076-5085. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-21745.
6.	Polska E, Simader C, Weigert G, et al. Regulation of choroidal blood flow during combined changes in intraocular pressure and arterial blood pressure[J]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2007, 48(8): 3768-3774. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.07-0307.
7.	Park MM, Young BK, Shen LL, et al. Topographic variation of retinal vascular density in normal eyes using optical coherence tomography angiography[J/OL]. Transl Vis Sci Technol, 2021, 10(12): 15[2021-10-04]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34647965/. DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.12.15.
8.	Campbell JP, Zhang M, Hwang TS, et al. Detailed vascular anatomy of the human retina by projection-resolved optical coherence tomography angiography[J/OL]. Sci Rep, 2017, 7: 42201[2017-02-10]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28186181/. DOI: 10.1038/srep42201.
9.	Caprioli J, Coleman AL. Blood pressure, perfusion pressure, and glaucoma[J]. Am J Ophthalmol, 2010, 149(5): 704-712. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2010.01.018.
10.	Zhang Y, Weng H, Li Q, et al. Changes in retina and choroid after haemodialysis assessed using optical coherence tomography angiography[J]. Clin Exp Optom, 2018, 101(5): 674-679. DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12660.
11.	Alarcon-Martinez L, Shiga Y, Villafranca-Baughman D, et al. Neurovascular dysfunction in glaucoma[J/OL]. Prog Retin Eye Res, 2023, 97: 101217[2023-09-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37778617/. DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2023.101217.
12.	Chen VY, Le CT, Pottenburgh J, et al. A pilot study assessing retinal blood flow dysregulation in glaucoma using erythrocyte mediated velocimetry[J/OL]. Transl Vis Sci Technol, 2022, 11(11): 19[2022-11-01]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36441132/. DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.11.19.
13.	Yu M, Sun X, Zeng F, et al. The short-term effects of blood donation on the ocular parameters including blood flow of the retina and choroid in healthy people using OCT-angiography[J/OL]. BMC Ophthalmol, 2023, 23(1): 259[2023-06-12]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37303035/. DOI: 10.1186/s12886-023-03002-3.
14.	Ji L, Tian H, Webster KA, et al. Neurovascular regulation in diabetic retinopathy and emerging therapies[J]. Cell Mol Life Sci, 2021, 78(16): 5977-5985. DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03893-9.
15.	Yumnamcha T, Guerra M, Singh LP, et al. Metabolic dysregulation and neurovascular dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy[J/OL]. Antioxidants (Basel), 2020, 9(12): 1244[2020-12-08]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33302369/. DOI: 10.3390/antiox9121244.

1. Gasparovic Babic S, Krsek A, Baticic L. Voluntary blood donation in modern healthcare: trends, challenges, and opportunities[J]. Epidemiologia (Basel), 2024, 5(4): 770-784. DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia5040052.
2. Araz-Ersan HB, Sayin N, Bayramo?lu SE, et al. The effect of acute hypovolemia on the eye[J]. Curr Eye Res, 2018, 43(7): 949-954. DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2018.1453077.
3. Luo X, Shen YM, Jiang MN, et al. Ocular blood flow autoregulation mechanisms and methods[J/OL]. J Ophthalmol, 2015, 2015: 864871[2015-10-21]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26576295/. DOI: 10.1155/2015/864871.
4. Flammer J, Mozaffarieh M. Autoregulation, a balancing act between supply and demand[J]. Can J Ophthalmol, 2008, 43(3): 317-321. DOI: 10.3129/i08-056.
5. Akahori T, Iwase T, Yamamoto K, et al. Changes in choroidal blood flow and morphology in response to increase in intraocular pressure[J]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2017, 58(12): 5076-5085. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-21745.
6. Polska E, Simader C, Weigert G, et al. Regulation of choroidal blood flow during combined changes in intraocular pressure and arterial blood pressure[J]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2007, 48(8): 3768-3774. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.07-0307.
7. Park MM, Young BK, Shen LL, et al. Topographic variation of retinal vascular density in normal eyes using optical coherence tomography angiography[J/OL]. Transl Vis Sci Technol, 2021, 10(12): 15[2021-10-04]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34647965/. DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.12.15.
8. Campbell JP, Zhang M, Hwang TS, et al. Detailed vascular anatomy of the human retina by projection-resolved optical coherence tomography angiography[J/OL]. Sci Rep, 2017, 7: 42201[2017-02-10]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28186181/. DOI: 10.1038/srep42201.
9. Caprioli J, Coleman AL. Blood pressure, perfusion pressure, and glaucoma[J]. Am J Ophthalmol, 2010, 149(5): 704-712. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2010.01.018.
10. Zhang Y, Weng H, Li Q, et al. Changes in retina and choroid after haemodialysis assessed using optical coherence tomography angiography[J]. Clin Exp Optom, 2018, 101(5): 674-679. DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12660.
11. Alarcon-Martinez L, Shiga Y, Villafranca-Baughman D, et al. Neurovascular dysfunction in glaucoma[J/OL]. Prog Retin Eye Res, 2023, 97: 101217[2023-09-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37778617/. DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2023.101217.
12. Chen VY, Le CT, Pottenburgh J, et al. A pilot study assessing retinal blood flow dysregulation in glaucoma using erythrocyte mediated velocimetry[J/OL]. Transl Vis Sci Technol, 2022, 11(11): 19[2022-11-01]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36441132/. DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.11.19.
13. Yu M, Sun X, Zeng F, et al. The short-term effects of blood donation on the ocular parameters including blood flow of the retina and choroid in healthy people using OCT-angiography[J/OL]. BMC Ophthalmol, 2023, 23(1): 259[2023-06-12]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37303035/. DOI: 10.1186/s12886-023-03002-3.
14. Ji L, Tian H, Webster KA, et al. Neurovascular regulation in diabetic retinopathy and emerging therapies[J]. Cell Mol Life Sci, 2021, 78(16): 5977-5985. DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03893-9.
15. Yumnamcha T, Guerra M, Singh LP, et al. Metabolic dysregulation and neurovascular dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy[J/OL]. Antioxidants (Basel), 2020, 9(12): 1244[2020-12-08]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33302369/. DOI: 10.3390/antiox9121244.

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Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases

Short-term changes in retinal and choroidal microcirculation in healthy adults after voluntary blood donation

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