title: Serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein, and retinal microvascular changes in hypertensive diabetic and nondiabetic individuals: an Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT) substudy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association of the inflammatory markers serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) with retinal microvascular parameters in hypertensive individuals with and without type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional analysis was a substudy in 711 patients (159 with and 552 without diabetes) of the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT) based on digital 30-degree images of superior and inferior temporal retinal fields.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SAA was associated with arteriolar length-to-diameter ratio positively in nondiabetic patients (P(trend)= 0.028) but negatively in diabetic patients (P(trend)= 0.005). The difference was unlikely to be a chance finding (P = 0.007 for interaction). Similar results were found for the association of SAA with arteriolar tortuosity (P = 0.05 for interaction). Associations were less pronounced for CRP and retinal parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inflammatory processes are differentially involved in retinal microvascular disease in diabetic compared with nondiabetic hypertensive individuals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. christoph.stettler@insel.ch
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stettler
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Robyn J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Tapp
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thom
authors.forename: Sabin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allemann
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tillin
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: Eoin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poulter
authors.forename: J Ruth
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gallimore
authors.forename: Alun D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Nish
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein