Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Inflammatory cytokines were considered to play a determinant role in the development and progression of different microvascular diabetic complications including diabetic retinopathy. interleukin 27 (IL27) is a cytokine with dual proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory effects that mediates pathogenesis of different inflammatory diseases.

Aim: To assess the serum and aqueous levels of (IL27) as proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokine in diabetic patients with or without retinopathy and to assess the correlations between its levels with conventional risk factors for diabetic retinopathy such as serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides levels, and HbA1c.

Methods: Sixty diabetic patients with and without retinopathy, along with 20 healthy controls, were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of IL27 were assessed using ELISA. Serum lipid profiles, glucose levels, and whole blood HbA1c were also detected.

Results: Mean aqueous levels of IL27 in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (6.1±2 ng) and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (6.7±2.7) were significantly elevated as compared to either diabetic patients without retinopathy (4.6±0.5) or healthy control group (4.1±0.8). Mean serum levels of IL27 were elevated in diabetic patients with retinopathy compared with those without retinopathy or control group. Aqueous IL27 was positively correlated with conventional risk factors for diabetic retinopathy such as serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides levels, and HbA1c.

Conclusion: This study showed significant elevated levels of IL27 in the serum and aqueous humour of patients with diabetic retinopathy and a correlation between its aqueous levels with some of diabetic retinopathy risk factors such as serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides levels, and HbA1c.