Premium
Is diabetic retinopathy an inflammatory, oxidative stress, genetic, mediated process ?
Author(s) -
DE SOUZA RAMALHO P,
PEREIRA DA SILVA A,
PEGO P,
BICHO MP
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2008.4416.x
Subject(s) - diabetic retinopathy , oxidative stress , medicine , retinopathy , haptoglobin , endocrinology , inflammation , genotype , diabetes mellitus , biology , genetics , gene
Purpose Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)neurovascular degenerative process of systemic disease is one of the main causes of blindness in adults(20‐70 years).Multifactor machanisms with growing evidence of hyperglycaemia induced inflammation and oxidative stress with genetic influence can lead to retinal cell apoptosis in early STZ diabetic rats. Expression of inflammation and oxidative stress markers and their genetic phenotypes in diabetics under treatment and in controls were studied. Methods Transmembrane Reductase (TMR), Erythropoeitin (EPO) activity and Haptoglobin (Hp) genotypes were determined in 60 type 2 diabetics, 26 with and 34 without retinopathy (mean age 64.2 ±11.64 years) of both sexes and in 44 non diabetic controls. TMR (mmol/l cell/h) was determined by spectophotometry, EPO(mIu/ml) by ELISA and Hp genetic phenotypes using polyachrilamide gel electrophoresis. Student t test, ANOVA,χ2 and Pearson correlation was used. Results TMR activity was high in retinopathy subjects (5.29 ± 2.11 vs 4.11 ± 1.51 in controls p=0.016). EPO serum levels were high in retinopathy patients (15.15 ± 11.14 vs 9.47 ± 6.57 in controls p=0.043). Hp 2.2 allele genotype predominance in diabetics with retinopathy (40.9%).Hp 2.1 genotype higher incidence in diabetics without retinopathy (70.6%) p=0.028). Conclusion High inflammatory/oxidative activity expressed by TMR,EPO,Hp and other markers in diabetic retinopathy,supports our hypothesis. EPO has also antiapoptotic, cell regenerative angiogenic properties. Its up‐regulation in retinopathy could be endogenous auto‐protective mechanism.