Biochemia Medica, Vol. 30 No. 3, 2020.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2020.030502
Inflammatory and angiogenic biomarkers in diabetic retinopathy
Snježana Kaštelan
orcid.org/0000-0002-3983-1157
; Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Orešković
Filip Bišćan
; Augenzentrum Mühldorf, Überörtliche Gemeinschaftspraxis, Mühldorf am Inn, Germany
Helena Kaštelan
; Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Antonela Gverović Antunica
; Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and a leading cause of blindness in working-
age adults in developed countries. Numerous investigations have recognised inflammation and angiogenesis as important factors in the development
of this complication of diabetes. Current methods of DR treatment are predominantly used at advanced stages of the disease and could be
associated with serious side effects. Therefore, new diagnostic methods are needed in order to identify the initial stages of DR as well as monitoring
the effects of applied therapy. Biochemical biomarkers are molecules found in blood or other biological fluid and tissue that indicate the existence of
an abnormal condition or disease. They could be a valuable tool in detecting early stages of DR, identifying patients most susceptible to retinopathy
progression and monitoring treatment outcomes. Biomarkers related to DR can be measured in the blood, retina, vitreous, aqueous humour and
recently in tears. As the retina represents a small part of total body mass, a circulating biomarker for DR needs to be highly specific. Local biomarkers
are more reliable as indicators of the retinal pathology; however, obtaining a sample of aqueous humour, vitreous or retina is an invasive procedure
with potential serious complications. As a non-invasive novel method, tear analysis offers a promising direction in further research for DR biomarker
detection. The aim of this paper is to review systemic and local inflammatory and angiogenic biomarkers relevant to this sight threatening diabetic
complication.
Keywords
diabetic retinopathy; biomarkers; inflammation; angiogenesis
Hrčak ID:
244721
URI
Publication date:
15.10.2020.
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