Association of the serum chemerin level with the development of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) correlates positively with elevated serum chemerin levels. This study was aimed at investigating the probable association between the serum chemerin level and the development of DR in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).
 Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included Egyptians and classified them into four groups: group 1, including healthy individuals; group 2, including patients with T1DM without DR; group 3, including patients with T1DM with non-proliferative DR (NPDR); and group 4, including patients with T1DM with proliferative DR (PDR). The assessment included best-corrected distance visual acuity assessment, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, funduscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography, and macular ocular coherence tomography. Fasting blood samples were obtained from all participants to measure serum chemerin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglyceride, and creatinine levels. Serum chemerin levels were compared among the groups, and their correlations with age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and creatinine levels were analyzed.
 Results: We recruited 209 participants, including 46 healthy individuals in group 1, 52 patients (T1DM and no DR) in group 2, 61 patients (T1DM and NPDR) in group 3, and 50 patients (T1DM and PDR) in group 4, with comparable mean ages and sex ratios among groups. The diabetes duration, body mass index, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and serum chemerin levels differed significantly among the groups (all P < 0.001), whereas the creatinine level did not (P > 0.05). The serum chemerin level was significantly higher in group 4 than in groups 3 and 2, in group 3 than in group 2, and in groups 3 and 4 than in group 1 (all P < 0.001). However, it was comparable between groups 1 and 2 (P > 0.05). It correlated with the duration of T1DM and HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and creatinine levels but not with age.
 Conclusions: Patients with T1DM with DR showed higher serum chemerin levels than those with T1DM without DR or healthy individuals. Serum chemerin levels were higher in those with PDR than in those with NPDR. Thus, serum chemerin levels are a potential biomarker of the development and severity of DR in patients with T1DM. Nevertheless, future diagnostic accuracy studies are required to confirm these potential applications.

Alteration of intestinal microbiota is associated with diabetic retinopathy and its severity: Samples collected from southeast coast Chinese

“…We presumed that Pseudomonas increased the permeability of retinal blood vessels and decreased NK cells, resulting in the occurrence of DR. Further experiments were needed to confirm the supposition. Adlercreutzia was positively correlated with leptin level which was positively correlated with the severity of DR[ 59 , 60 ]. Therefore, Adlercreutzia may promote the occurrence of DR by influencing leptin.…”

Common causes of visual impairment in the elderly

“…DR is a cause of vision loss in individuals aged 20–74 years [ 74 , 75 ] . DR causes vision loss predominantly through diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( Figures 4 and 5 ) and is mostly mediated by increased retinal vascular injury and subsequent local ischemia [ 76 - 79 ] . From 2008 to 2010, DR accounted for 6.1% to 8.3% of VI cases in the United Kingdom.…”

“… Severe right eye non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and clinically significant macular edema in a 65-year-old man with corrected distance visual acuity of 40/200 in both eyes. This figure has been reused with the permission of Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol [ 79 ] . …”

“… A 68-year-old man with active proliferative diabetic retinopathy and history of previous pan-retinal photocoagulation in his right eye. This figure has been reused with the permission of Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol [ 79 ] . …”

Association of serum adiponectin and leptin levels with inner retinal thickness among individuals with or without elevated HbA1c

“…[15][16][17][18][19][20] Although there are several studies reporting the relationship with adipokines and DR, their potential association with early diabetic retinal neurodegeneration is unknown. [21][22][23][24][25] In this study, we performed a topographical quantitative assessment of the inner retinal thickness of the macula in individuals with prediabetes or type 2 DM and age/sex-matched controls, and assessed the association of inner retinal thickness with clinically relevant metabolic factors, including adiponectin and leptin.…”