[Immunologic phenomena in patients with proliferative retinopathy in diabetes mellitus type 1]

As a rule, in long-lasting diabetes type 1 there appear vascular complications in a form of proliferative retinopathy. While looking for the causes of fast vascular changes, the authors considered the possibility of immunological disorders. They started prospective examinations of patients with diabetes type 1 and proliferative retinopathy changes in the fundus of the eye. The authors evaluated the activity of angiogenic factors released by mononuclear cells isolated from peripheral blood of the patients examined. The authors found a significantly higher activity of these factors in patients with proliferative retinopathy in comparison with a control group of healthy persons and a group of patients with diabetes type 1 and simple retinopathy. The results obtained may indicate to immunological changes in the pathogenesis of proliferative retinopathy.