title: Elevated serum levels of AGEs, sRAGE, and pentosidine in Tunisian patients with severity of diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-receptor for AGE (RAGE) axis activity are implicated in diabetic vascular complications. We measured serum AGE, sRAGE and pentosidine levels in Tunisian patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and examined whether these biomarkers are related to the severity of DR.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 30 healthy control subjects and 100 diabetic patients were divided into 2 subgroups: 40 patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and 60 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PRD). AGEs, sRAGE and pentosidine were measured in serum by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of AGEs, sRAGE and pentosidine were significantly increased in patients with diabetes mellitus compared to nondiabetic controls (P<.01, P<.001, P<.001 respectively). In diabetic patients, serum AGEs, sRAGE and pentosidine levels were significantly higher in patients who had PDR than in those with NPDR (P=.001, P=.01, P=.005 respectively). Furthermore, in stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the levels of pentosidine and duration of diabetes were independently associated with severity of DR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum AGEs, sRAGE, and pentosidine levels are related with the presence of DR. Duration of diabetes and pentosidine were independently correlated with the severity of DR.
authors: Laboratory of Biochemistry, UR: Human Nutrition & Metabolic Disorders, Faculty of Medicine, Monastir University, Tunisia. mohsen.kerkeni@yahoo.fr
authors: Mohsen
authors: M
authors: Kerkeni
authors: Amel
authors: A
authors: Saïdi
authors: Hassan
authors: H
authors: Bouzidi
authors: Slim
authors: S
authors: Ben Yahya
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Hammami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D001120:Arginine; C062187:pentosidine; D008239:Lysine