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Severe retinopathy in type 1 diabetic patients is not related to the level of plasma homocysteine

Agardh, Elisabet LU ; Hultberg, Björn LU and Agardh, Carl-David LU (2000) In Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation 60(3). p.169-174
Abstract
The vascular-injuring amino acid homocysteine was previously shown to be increased in plasma in type 1 diabetic patients with clinical signs of nephropathy. Previous studies have also shown an inconsistent relationship between the development of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy, indicating different pathogenetic mechanisms. In this study, plasma homocysteine was measured in 25 type 1 diabetic patients with a well-characterized form of severe retinopathy. Furthermore, a group of 24 type 1 diabetic patients with similar age at onset of diabetes and diabetes duration with no or minimal background retinopathy were investigated, in order to determine whether plasma homocysteine levels are different from those in patients with severe... (More)
The vascular-injuring amino acid homocysteine was previously shown to be increased in plasma in type 1 diabetic patients with clinical signs of nephropathy. Previous studies have also shown an inconsistent relationship between the development of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy, indicating different pathogenetic mechanisms. In this study, plasma homocysteine was measured in 25 type 1 diabetic patients with a well-characterized form of severe retinopathy. Furthermore, a group of 24 type 1 diabetic patients with similar age at onset of diabetes and diabetes duration with no or minimal background retinopathy were investigated, in order to determine whether plasma homocysteine levels are different from those in patients with severe retinopathy. Patients with severe retinopathy did not have higher plasma levels of homocysteine (13.9 micromol/L; 5.9-30.7, median and range) than those without retinopathy (10.4 micromol/L; 5.7-18.9). Within the group of patients with severe retinopathy, increased homocysteine levels were confined to the patients (19.9 micromol/L; 10.0-30.7, n=9) with serum creatinine levels > 100 micromol/L, compared to those patients (9.6; 5.9-14.3 micromol/L, n=15) with a serum creatinine below 100 micromol/L. None of the patients without or with minimal background retinopathy had serum creatinine levels > 100 micromol/L. We conclude that diabetic retinopathy is not associated with increased plasma homocysteine levels, but plasma homocysteine accumulates, probably owing to reduced glomerular filtration, in diabetic patients with signs of nephropathy. In these patients, the promoting effect of nephropathy on the development of retinopathy does not seem to be mediated through homocysteine. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Diabetes mellitus, homocysteine, nephropathy, retinopathy
in
Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation
volume
60
issue
3
pages
169 - 174
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • pmid:10885488
  • scopus:0034130228
ISSN
1502-7686
DOI
10.1080/003655100750044811
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Unit on Vascular Diabetic Complications (013241510), Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology (013250300)
id
d0ef02a1-259a-40eb-adfb-8e63457713c8 (old id 1116211)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:52:27
date last changed
2022-01-28 07:44:08
@article{d0ef02a1-259a-40eb-adfb-8e63457713c8,
  abstract     = {{The vascular-injuring amino acid homocysteine was previously shown to be increased in plasma in type 1 diabetic patients with clinical signs of nephropathy. Previous studies have also shown an inconsistent relationship between the development of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy, indicating different pathogenetic mechanisms. In this study, plasma homocysteine was measured in 25 type 1 diabetic patients with a well-characterized form of severe retinopathy. Furthermore, a group of 24 type 1 diabetic patients with similar age at onset of diabetes and diabetes duration with no or minimal background retinopathy were investigated, in order to determine whether plasma homocysteine levels are different from those in patients with severe retinopathy. Patients with severe retinopathy did not have higher plasma levels of homocysteine (13.9 micromol/L; 5.9-30.7, median and range) than those without retinopathy (10.4 micromol/L; 5.7-18.9). Within the group of patients with severe retinopathy, increased homocysteine levels were confined to the patients (19.9 micromol/L; 10.0-30.7, n=9) with serum creatinine levels > 100 micromol/L, compared to those patients (9.6; 5.9-14.3 micromol/L, n=15) with a serum creatinine below 100 micromol/L. None of the patients without or with minimal background retinopathy had serum creatinine levels > 100 micromol/L. We conclude that diabetic retinopathy is not associated with increased plasma homocysteine levels, but plasma homocysteine accumulates, probably owing to reduced glomerular filtration, in diabetic patients with signs of nephropathy. In these patients, the promoting effect of nephropathy on the development of retinopathy does not seem to be mediated through homocysteine.}},
  author       = {{Agardh, Elisabet and Hultberg, Björn and Agardh, Carl-David}},
  issn         = {{1502-7686}},
  keywords     = {{Diabetes mellitus; homocysteine; nephropathy; retinopathy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{169--174}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation}},
  title        = {{Severe retinopathy in type 1 diabetic patients is not related to the level of plasma homocysteine}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/003655100750044811}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/003655100750044811}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}