Decorin Concentrations in Aqueous Humor of Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy. Life (Basel) 2021 Dec 17;11(12)
Date
12/25/2021Pubmed ID
34947953Pubmed Central ID
PMC8707400DOI
10.3390/life11121421Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85122401745 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 5 CitationsAbstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes in the retina. Chronic hyperglycemia damages retinal microvasculature embedded into the extracellular matrix (ECM), causing fluid leakage and ischemic retinal neovascularization. Current treatment strategies include intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or steroidal injections, laser photocoagulation, or vitrectomy in severe cases. However, treatment may require multiple modalities or repeat treatments due to variable response. Though DR management has achieved great success, improved, long-lasting, and predictable treatments are needed, including new biomarkers and therapeutic approaches. Small-leucine rich proteoglycans, such as decorin, constitute an integral component of retinal endothelial ECM. Therefore, any damage to microvasculature can trigger its antifibrotic and antiangiogenic response against retinal vascular pathologies, including DR. We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the association between aqueous humor (AH) decorin levels, if any, and severity of DR. A total of 82 subjects (26 control, 56 DR) were recruited. AH was collected and decorin concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Decorin was significantly increased in the AH of DR subjects compared to controls (p = 0.0034). AH decorin levels were increased in severe DR groups in ETDRS and Gloucestershire classifications. Decorin concentrations also displayed a significant association with visual acuity (LogMAR) measurements. In conclusion, aqueous humor decorin concentrations were found elevated in DR subjects, possibly due to a compensatory response to the retinal microvascular changes during hyperglycemia.
Author List
Low SWY, Vaidya T, Gadde SGK, Mochi TB, Kumar D, Kassem IS, Costakos DM, Ahmad B, Sethu S, Ghosh A, Chaurasia SSAuthors
Baseer Ahmad MD Associate Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of WisconsinShyam S. Chaurasia PhD Associate Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Deborah M. Costakos MD Chair, Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin
