[Role of insulin-like growth factor I in the development of diabetic retinopathy]

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness. This review will discuss the role of IGF-I in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. IGF-I is a growth factor with a very wide spectrum of biological activities. It especially controls cell growth and metabolic processes. Disorders of IGF-I activity, which are observed during diabetes, contribute to pathologic vascularization of the eye, particularly in the retina. Reasons for this is local hypoxia, which results from chronic hyperglycaemia; damage of blood retina barrier and disorder of the axis IGF-I--growth hormone. In the first stage of diabetic retinopathy the deficit of the systemic IGF-I can also be of importance. The role of IGF-I in diabetic retinopathy enables better understanding, and thus in the future better intensive antidiabetic therapy in aspect of ophthalmic complications.