title: Stronger relationship of serum apolipoprotein A-1 and B with diabetic retinopathy than traditional lipids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common preventable cause of blindness where early detection and treatment can be sight-saving. Search for biomarkers of the disease has been relentless. We aimed to determine whether lipoproteins apolipoproteins A1 and B1 (Apo-A1 and Apo-B1) have stronger associations with DR in contrast to conventionally measured low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional study and studied 117 patients. Serum lipid profile was assessed by autoanalyzer. Serum Apo-A1 and Apo-B were measured using immunoturbidimetric kit on an autoanalyzer. Apo-B/A1 ratio was calculated. Retinopathy was graded from the digital retinal photographs, taken with nonmydriatic auto fundus camera and classified according to International Clinical DR Disease Severity Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean Apo-A1 for mild, moderate, severe retinopathy, and proliferative DR (PDR) shows a significant negative correlation (P= 0.001) with severity of retinopathy. Mean Apo-B for mild, moderate, severe, PDR displayed a significant positive correlation with severity of retinopathy (P= 0.001). Mean Apo-B/A1 for mild, moderate, severe, PDR showed highly significant positive correlation with severity of retinopathy (P< 0.001). In contrast, mean LDL for mild, moderate, severe, PDR showed insignificant association with severity of DR (P= 0.081).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apo-A1 and Apo-B have a stronger association with the development of DR than traditional lipids and can thus facilitate early detection and treatment of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ankit
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Mathur
keywords: Biomarkers; diabetic retinopathy; serum apolipoprotein