title: Expression of CD18 on the neutrophils of patients with diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of CD18 on neutrophils from patients with various stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to determine the possibility of using it as a marker of disease development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of CD18 on neutrophils were measured by flow cytometry in 10 patients with DR stage 1, 14 patients in stages 2-4, 14 patients in stage 5 and 10 non-diabetic healthy subjects (control).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean channel fluorescence (MCF) of CD18 on neutrophils from the control, stage 1, stages 2-4 and stage 5 groups were 1.36+/-0.17, 2.99+/-1.44, 3.13+/-1.10 and 4.11+/-1.62, respectively. The difference among them was significant (P=0.00). The highest was from the stage 5 group, then stages 2-4 and stage 1. The least was from the control group (trend test, P=0.00). This trend remained after adjusting for confounding variables. This trend was only significant in type 2 when subjects were divided according to diabetic type, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Multiple linear regression against the level of CD18 MCF by stage of DR and covariates revealed a significant and independent association with the stage of DR (beta=0.33; P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated levels of CD18 on neutrophils were present in each stage of DR in type 2 diabetic patients. The more severe the disease, the higher the level was. CD18 may be a marker of the development of DR in type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University and Eye Institute of PLA, Xian 710032, People's Republic of China. songhpxian@163.com
authors.forename: Huping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yannian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D018821:CD18 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D018821:CD18 Antigens; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin