Diabetes Mellitus and Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Are Accompanied by Increase Pro-Inflammatory Conditions Indicated by a High Blood-Derived Levels of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 and Interleukin-8

Inflammatory conditions are probably implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy. This study aimed to investigate the levels of monocytes chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 in patients with diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy and to indicate whether these chemokines can predict diabetic retinopathy or not.

One-hindered fifty individuals were recruited in this study from Najaf city, Iraq. They were divided into three groups 50 diabetes mellitus diabetes mellitus patients, 50 non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients, and 50 healthy control. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to assess monocytes chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 along with other spectrophotometric methods for determining other biomarkers.

The results indicate a significant difference (p<0.0001) in monocytes chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 between patients and healthy control and only monocytes chemoattractant protein-1 was a significant difference (p<0.0001) between diabetes mellitus and non-proliferative diabetic-retinopathy group. A correlation study revealed a significant positive correlation between chemokines and duration of illness (monocytes chemoattractant protein-1: rho=0.684, p<0.0001, interleukin-8; rho=0.704, p<0.0001). besides these chemokines also showed a significant direct correlation with HbA1c. Regression analysis showed a large effect size of these chemokines in predicting inflammatory conditions and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. In addition, the level of monocytes chemoattractant protein-1 appears to predict patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Elevated levels of monocytes chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 in patients with diabetes mellitus suggest the implication of these chemokines in the pathophysiology of the disease and one of the contributors to developing complications such as diabetic retinopathy. Besides monocytes chemoattractant, protein-1 may predict the early stage of diabetic retinopathy.