Alterations of fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane in type 2 diabetes patients with diabetic retinopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the erythrocyte membrane fatty acid components and diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
The study was performed in 40 patients. Thirty of the 40 were type 2 diabetic patients classified into three groups according to Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Group (ETDRS) criteria: 10 with mild-moderate nonproliferative retinopathy (group 1), 10 with moderate-severe nonproliferative retinopathy (group 2), and 10 with proliferative retinopathy (group 3). Ten age- and sex-matched healthy nondiabetic individuals were selected as controls. We examined the fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membrane by a gas chromatographic method.


RESULTS
In patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, we found statistically significant decreases in palmitic and stearic acids, and statistically significant increases in oleic, linoleic, behenic, and lignoceric acids, while arachidic and arachidonic acids remained unchanged. Except for the increase in arachidic acid, the results were similar to those in the proliferative retinopathy patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The fatty acid component of the erythrocyte membrane alters in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between the free-fatty acid composition of erythrocytes and diabetic retinopathy.
Kulacoglu
Destan Nil
DN
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
Kocer
Ibrahim
I
Kurtul
Naciye
N
Keles
Sait
S
Baykal
Orhan
O
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D005227:Fatty Acids