Aqueous Humor Biomarkers of Müller Cell Activation in Diabetic Eyes.
Vujosevic Stela, Micera Alessandra, Bini Silvia, Berton Marianna, Esposito Graziana, Midena Edoardo
AI Summary
This study found Müller cell activation biomarkers (GFAP, AQP1, AQP4) are significantly elevated in diabetic eyes, even before visible retinopathy, indicating early retinal damage and potential for early intervention.
Abstract
Purpose
To identify early biomarkers of retinal Müller cell activation in diabetic eyes with or without clinically detectable signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Methods
This study was a cross-sectional comparative case series. The aqueous humor (AH) of 34 eyes was collected in 12 healthy controls, 11 diabetic patients without DR, and 11 diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR. Full ophthalmic examination and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were performed in all eyes. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), aquaporin 1 (AQP1), and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) were quantified in AH samples as biomarkers of Müller cell activity by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer post hoc test.
Results
There was no significant difference in the age among the three groups. Mean concentration of GFAP, AQP1, and AQP4 significantly increased in diabetic eyes versus controls (P < 0.05, for each comparison). Glial fibrillary acidic protein and AQP1 showed an approximate 2-fold increase, whereas AQP4 showed an approximate 25-fold increase in diabetics with DR versus controls. In diabetics without DR, AQP4 showed an approximate 6-fold increase versus controls.
Conclusions
Glial fibrillary acidic protein, AQP1, and AQP4-biomarkers of Müller cell activity-are significantly increased in human eyes with diabetes, confirming that Müller cells are precociously affected by diabetes mellitus.
MeSH Terms
Shields Classification
Key Concepts5
Mean concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), aquaporin 1 (AQP1), and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) were significantly increased in diabetic eyes compared to controls (P < 0.05 for each comparison) in a cross-sectional comparative case series of 34 eyes (12 healthy controls, 11 diabetic patients without DR, and 11 diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR).
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and aquaporin 1 (AQP1) showed an approximate 2-fold increase in diabetics with diabetic retinopathy (DR) versus controls in a cross-sectional comparative case series of 34 eyes (12 healthy controls, 11 diabetic patients without DR, and 11 diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR).
Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) showed an approximate 25-fold increase in diabetics with diabetic retinopathy (DR) versus controls in a cross-sectional comparative case series of 34 eyes (12 healthy controls, 11 diabetic patients without DR, and 11 diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR).
Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) showed an approximate 6-fold increase versus controls in diabetics without diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a cross-sectional comparative case series of 34 eyes (12 healthy controls, 11 diabetic patients without DR, and 11 diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR).
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), aquaporin 1 (AQP1), and aquaporin 4 (AQP4), biomarkers of Müller cell activity, are significantly increased in human eyes with diabetes, confirming that Müller cells are precociously affected by diabetes mellitus, based on findings from a cross-sectional comparative case series of 34 eyes (12 healthy controls, 11 diabetic patients without DR, and 11 diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR).
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