MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SEVERITY OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Background. Low-grade inflammation, which is characteristic of diabetes mellitus and, in particular, diabetic retinopathy (DR), is associated with the accumulation of proinflammatory cytokines in the retina. This justifies the possibility of using their content in the blood as diagnostic and prognostic markers of DR. Aim: to determine the content of inflammatory markers in the blood - proinflammatory interleukins (IL-1β and IL-6) and establish the possibility of their use as prognostic biomarkers of the severity of diabetic retinopathy. Materials and methods. 136 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were examined, who were divided into groups: 1st - with non-proliferative (NPDR, 60 eyes), 2nd - with preproliferative DR (PPDR; 42 eyes) and 3rd - with proliferative DR (PDR; 34 eyes). Patients were examined and treated for 2 years. The content of IL-1β and IL-6 was determined in blood plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results were analyzed in the EZR v.1.54 package (Austria). Results. A significant increase in the blood content of IL-1β and IL-6 was established (p<0.001 compared to control). The cut-off levels of IL-1β and IL-6 for NPDR, PPDR and PDR were determined (prediction accuracy 99%). The risk of DR progression after 2 years of observation increased many times with an increase in the content of both interleukins (p<0.001). Conclusion. The results obtained substantiate the diagnostic thresholds of serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 as markers of the severity of DR and predicting its progression during 2 years of treatment.