Research Article: Association between leukocyte-derived inflammatory biomarkers and diabetic retinopathy progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Abstract:
To characterize changes in leukocyte-based inflammatory biomarkers in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression, using the DR non-progression group as a control, and to evaluate the association between these biomarkers and DR progression.
A total of 70 patients with T2DM were included in the study, comprising 40 in the DR progression group and 30 in the DR non-progression group. Based on scanning laser ophthalmoscopy findings, participants were categorized into the DR progression group or the DR non-progression group. Changes in leukocyte-based inflammatory biomarkers between the two time points were compared within each group, and the associations between changes in biomarkers and DR progression were then analyzed.
No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between the two groups. In the DR progression group, neutrophil (NE) and lymphocyte (LYM) counts were significantly lower at the time of progression than at baseline, whereas the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was significantly higher. No significant changes were observed in the remaining inflammatory biomarkers. In the DR non-progression group, none of the evaluated inflammatory biomarkers demonstrated significant differences between the two assessment time points. Correlation analysis demonstrated that DR progression was negatively associated with changes in NE count, whereas no significant associations were identified between DR progression and changes in LYM counts or PLR.
Among the leukocyte-based inflammatory biomarkers evaluated, a decrease in NE count was significantly associated with DR progression. Although LYM and PLR showed significant within-group changes over time, their correlation with progression status was not statistically significant, suggesting that their roles require further validation.
Introduction:
With improvements in living standards and the increasing adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in China has risen steadily. Epidemiological studies have estimated that approximately 116 million individuals in China were living with DM in 2019, and this number is projected to increase to 147 million by 2030 ( 1 ). In addition, the incidence of DM among younger populations has increased substantially, resulting in a growing burden of diabetes-related complications during…
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