Diabetic retinopathy is associated with elevated serum asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginines.
OBJECTIVE
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), and l-arginine directly influence nitric oxide production. Our objective was to test whether serum ADMA, SDMA, or l-arginine levels correlate with diabetic retinopathy subtype or severity.


METHODS
A total of 162 subjects with type 1 diabetes and 343 with type 2 diabetes, of whom 329 subjects had no diabetic retinopathy, 27 had nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), 101 had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and 107 had clinically significant macular edema (CSME), were recruited. Blinding diabetic retinopathy was defined as severe NPDR, PDR, or CSME. Serum ADMA, SDMA, and l-arginine concentrations were determined by mass spectroscopy.


RESULTS
In multivariate analysis, blinding diabetic retinopathy, PDR, and nephropathy were associated with significantly increased serum levels of ADMA (P < 0.001), SDMA (P < 0.001), and l-arginine (P = 0.001). Elevated ADMA (P < 0.001) and SDMA (P < 0.001) were also significantly associated with CSME.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe forms of diabetic retinopathy are associated with elevated serum ADMA, SDMA, and l-arginine. Further investigation is required to determine whether these findings are of clinical relevance.
Abhary
Sotoodeh
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia.
Kasmeridis
Nicholas
N
Burdon
Kathryn P
KP
Kuot
Abraham
A
Whiting
Malcolm J
MJ
Yew
Wai Ping
WP
Petrovsky
Nikolai
N
Craig
Jamie E
JE
D000873:Anthracenes / Q000737:chemistry; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011407:Propane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry
D000873:Anthracenes; D015415:Biomarkers; C024917:symmetric dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D011407:Propane
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