Diabetic Retinopathy Is Associated With Elevated Serum Asymmetric and Symmetric Dimethylarginines
- Sotoodeh Abhary, MBBS1,
- Nicholas Kasmeridis, MBBS2,
- Kathryn P. Burdon, PHD1,
- Abraham Kuot, BMEDSC1,
- Malcolm J. Whiting, PHD3,
- Wai Ping Yew, BSC4,
- Nikolai Petrovsky, FRACP2 and
- Jamie E. Craig, FRANZCO1
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia;
- 2Department of Endocrinology, Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia;
- 3Chemical Pathology Laboratory, South Australia Pathology, Bedford Park, Australia;
- 4Department of Medical Biochemistry, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia.
- Corresponding author: Jamie E. Craig, jamie.craig{at}flinders.edu.au.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), and l-arginine directly influence nitric oxide production. Our objective was to test whether serum ADMA, SDMA, or l-arginine levels correlate with diabetic retinopathy subtype or severity.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 162 subjects with type 1 diabetes and 343 with type 2 diabetes, of whom 329 subjects had no diabetic retinopathy, 27 had nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), 101 had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and 107 had clinically significant macular edema (CSME), were recruited. Blinding diabetic retinopathy was defined as severe NPDR, PDR, or CSME. Serum ADMA, SDMA, and l-arginine concentrations were determined by mass spectroscopy.
RESULTS In multivariate analysis, blinding diabetic retinopathy, PDR, and nephropathy were associated with significantly increased serum levels of ADMA (P < 0.001), SDMA (P < 0.001), and l-arginine (P = 0.001). Elevated ADMA (P < 0.001) and SDMA (P < 0.001) were also significantly associated with CSME.
CONCLUSIONS Severe forms of diabetic retinopathy are associated with elevated serum ADMA, SDMA, and l-arginine. Further investigation is required to determine whether these findings are of clinical relevance.
Footnotes
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The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Received May 4, 2009.
- Accepted July 29, 2009.
- © 2009 by the American Diabetes Association.
