Premium
Serum neuron‐specific enolase is elevated as a novel indicator of diabetic retinopathy including macular oedema
Author(s) -
Li J.,
Yan M.,
Zhang Y.,
Xie M.,
Yan L.,
Chen J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/dme.12597
Subject(s) - enolase , medicine , diabetic retinopathy , retinopathy , diabetes mellitus , type 1 diabetes , fluorescein angiography , endocrinology , gastroenterology , ophthalmology , retinal , immunohistochemistry
Aim Neuron‐specific enolase as a potential biomarker of diabetic retinopathy, a neurovascular disease, had not been fully explored. We aimed to investigate the relationship between NSE and diabetic retinopathy. Methods Participants included Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients and healthy controls ( n = 392). In this cross‐sectional study, diabetic retinopathy status was assessed by fundus photographs. Serum neuron‐specific enolase was measured using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Co‐variables for diabetic retinopathy and neuron‐specific enolase were obtained from fasting blood samples and interviewer questionnaires. Results Neuron‐specific enolase was slightly elevated in diabetic patients, in contrast to healthy participants, and obviously increased in diabetic patients with retinopathy compared with those without [8.3 (2.0) vs. 7.6 (1.5), P = 0.037 and 8.3 (2.0) vs. 9.5 (2.7), P = 0.004, respectively]. In addition, neuron‐specific enolase levels increased with and were closely correlated to the stages of retinopathy without macular oedema [ r = 0.60 (0.50–0.71), P = 0.002] and stages of macular oedema with comparable retinopathy [ r = 0.58 (0.46–0.69), P = 0.006]. The association of neuron‐specific enolase with diabetic retinopathy was independent [odds ration ( OR ): 1.31 (1.12–1.65), P = 0.017], after the diabetic state and other potential confounders affecting NSE levels were considered (e.g., HbA 1c , duration, age, gender, renal status and medicines). The optimal cut‐off point for serum neuron‐specific enolase levels for differentiating between participants with diabetic retinopathy including macular oedema and those without was 9.3 μg/l, with a sensitivity of 67.5% and a specificity of 69.8%. Conclusions Serum neuron‐specific enolase is elevated in and indicative of diabetic retinopathy. Neuron‐specific enolase may be a potential biomarker of diabetic retinopathy. Future prospective studies are warranted to clarify the relationship.