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Quantification of Diabetes-induced Adherent Leukocytes in Retinal Vasculature
Published on: January 24, 2025
Expression of CD18 on the neutrophils of patients with diabetic retinopathy
Huping Song1, Lili Wang, Yannian Hui
1Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University and Eye Institute of PLA, Xian 710032, People's Republic of China. songhpxian@163.com
Insights
Neutrophil CD18 expression increases with diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity in type 2 diabetes patients. Elevated CD18 may serve as a marker for DR development, indicating disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss in diabetic patients.
- Neutrophils play a role in inflammatory processes associated with diabetes complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate CD18 expression on neutrophils in patients with varying stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR).
- To assess the potential of CD18 as a biomarker for DR development and progression.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to measure CD18 levels on neutrophils.
- Participants included patients with DR stages 1, 2-4, and 5, along with a control group of healthy subjects.
- Statistical analyses, including trend tests and multiple linear regression, were performed.
Main Results:
- CD18 expression on neutrophils was significantly elevated in all DR stages compared to controls (P=0.00).
- A significant trend of increasing CD18 levels was observed with increasing DR severity (P=0.00).
- This association remained significant and independent of confounding variables, particularly in type 2 diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Elevated neutrophil CD18 levels are present in all stages of DR in type 2 diabetes.
- Higher CD18 expression correlates with more severe DR.
- CD18 shows potential as a marker for DR development in type 2 diabetes.
Aim:
To investigate the expression of CD18 on neutrophils from patients with various stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to determine the possibility of using it as a marker of disease development.
Research Design And Methods:
Levels of CD18 on neutrophils were measured by flow cytometry in 10 patients with DR stage 1, 14 patients in stages 2-4, 14 patients in stage 5 and 10 non-diabetic healthy subjects (control).
Results:
Mean channel fluorescence (MCF) of CD18 on neutrophils from the control, stage 1, stages 2-4 and stage 5 groups were 1.36+/-0.17, 2.99+/-1.44, 3.13+/-1.10 and 4.11+/-1.62, respectively. The difference among them was significant (P=0.00). The highest was from the stage 5 group, then stages 2-4 and stage 1. The least was from the control group (trend test, P=0.00). This trend remained after adjusting for confounding variables. This trend was only significant in type 2 when subjects were divided according to diabetic type, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Multiple linear regression against the level of CD18 MCF by stage of DR and covariates revealed a significant and independent association with the stage of DR (beta=0.33; P=0.01).
Conclusion:
Elevated levels of CD18 on neutrophils were present in each stage of DR in type 2 diabetic patients. The more severe the disease, the higher the level was. CD18 may be a marker of the development of DR in type 2 diabetes.
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