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PLASMA SOMATOMEDIN ACTIVITY AND DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Author(s) -
ASHTON I. K.,
DORNAN T. L.,
POCOCK A. E.,
TURNER R. C.,
BRON A. J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1983.tb00748.x
Subject(s) - somatomedin , endocrinology , medicine , retinopathy , diabetic retinopathy , diabetes mellitus , insulin , hormone , growth hormone
SUMMARY Somatomedin activity was measured by a rabbit chondrocyte bioassay in plasma of adult patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes of 11–28 years duration. Mean somatomedin activity in patients with background or proliferative retinopathy, assessed by ophthalmoscopy or fluorescein angiography, was 1·42 ± 0·65 U/ml ( n = 20) which was significantly greater than in age‐ and weight‐matched control subjects (1·05 ± 0·22 U/ml, n = 9). In contrast, somatomedin activity was not raised in patients who had no retinopathy (1·16 ± 0·33 U/ml, n = 10). Diabetic patients with retinopathy also showed the greatest differences between repeat samples suggesting wider fluctuations in plasma somatomedin levels. Plasma growth hormone and glucose measured either simultaneously with somatomedin or during a 12–24 h profile were not different when diabetics with or without retinopathy were compared. The somatomedins have mitogenic actions in vivo on a variety of connective tissues. The possibility that this may extend to retinal vessels should be further evaluated.