[Fluorescent products in the crystalline lens of type ii diabetic patients]

A body of evidence suggests that glycation of proteins and the resulting fluorescent products take part in the late complications of diabetes. The purpose of this study was to analyse the fluorescence of lens soluble proteins from diabetic patients. Soluble proteins were obtained from lens with cataract from 20 type II diabetic patients and from 21 non diabetic controls with similar age. The fluorescence of the soluble fraction (EX-360 nm, EM -454 nm) was quantified as a parameter for glycation end products. The glycation of plasma proteins was quantified by fructosamine levels. The fluorescence mean in the group of diabetics was about twice the non diabetic value (p < 0.01). The fluorescence in the diabetics with retinopathy was higher than that of diabetic without retinopathy (p < 0.01). Fructosamine levels were: diabetics 3.1 +/- 1.1 mM, non diabetics 1.9 +/- 0.8 mM (p < 0.001). The results suggest the involvement of fluorescent products, resulting from glycation of proteins, in lens opacification in diabetic patients.