Association between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Diabetic Retinopathy: A 5-Year Retrospective Case-Control Study

Red Cell Distribution Width and Prediabetes in Adults in Northern Sudan: A Case-Control Study

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health issue worldwide. Red cell distribution width (RDW) has been reported to have predictive value in several diseases, including DM. Few data exist on the association between RDW and the prediabetic stage. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the association between RDW and prediabetes in adults in Sudan. This case-control study was conducted in Northern Sudan in 2022. The cases (n = 107) were prediabetic patients categorized according to the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which ranged from 5.7% to 6.4%, while the controls (n = 107) were healthy participants. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. Standard methods were used to measure the HbAIc level and RDW. Logistic regression analysis was performed. The median (interquartile range (IQR)) of the RDW was significantly higher in prediabetic patients than in the controls (14.5% [13.8-15.3%] vs. 14.1% [13.6-14.7%], p = 0.003). Sex, educational level, occupational status, marital status, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, family history of DM, and body mass index were not associated with prediabetes. In the multivariate-adjusted model, higher age and higher RDW were associated with prediabetes. A positive correlation was found between RDW and HbA1c levels (r = 0.19, p = 0.006). In conclusion, this study supports the use of RDW as a predictor of DM.

The relationship between red blood cell distribution width and islet β-cell function indexes in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults

AIMS

The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between red blood cell distribution and islet β-cell function indexes in patients with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults.

METHODS

A total of 487 LADA patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into three groups according to RDW tertiles. Clinical and laboratory measurements of age, height, weight, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, RDW, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-peptide and blood lipids were performed. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) were assessed using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) based on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting C-peptide index (FCP). Correlations and multiple linear regressions were implemented to determine the association of RDW and islet function indexes.

RESULTS

As the increase of serum RDW level, the presence of β-cell secretion increased(P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that there were significant correlations between RDW and male sex, age, duration, TG, Cr, FCP, and HOMA-β in all subjects. Multiple linear regressions indicated that RDW was significantly correlated with HOMA-β in the total population in both unadjusted and adjusted analysis. This finding could be reproduced in the subgroup of low GAD titers for HOMA-β. RDW were significantly associated with HbA1c in LADA patients with high GAD titers, but the correlation was not found in subgroup with low GAD titers in either unadjusted analyses or adjusted analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

RDW is associated with β-cell function assessed by HOMA-β after adjusting for covariates in LADA patients with low GAD titers.

Characteristics of Hematologic Parameters in Young Patients with Retinal Vein Occlusion

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of hematologic parameters in young patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

METHODS

All participants underwent routine ocular examinations and blood sample tests. Hematologic parameters obtained from a complete blood count, as well as the calculation of specific inflammatory indices, were compared between young patients with RVO and the control subjects. Correlations between hematologic inflammatory biomarkers and aqueous humor inflammatory cytokines were also investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 64 patients with RVO and 64 age- and gender-matched control subjects were included in this study. The white blood cell count, neutrophil cell count, mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) in young patients with RVO were significantly higher than in the controls (all p < 0.05). Compared to patients with nonischemic RVO, patients with ischemic RVO had higher NLR, SII, and SIRI values (p = 0.032, p = 0.035, and p = 0.039, respectively). The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve were 0.725, 0.651, 0.649, and 0.634 for the MPV, NLR, SII, and SIRI, respectively. In addition, a higher NLR was related to higher levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6; p = 0.046, R = 0.463), and a higher SII was related to higher levels of IL-6 (p = 0.034, R = 0.488) and vascular endothelial growth factor (p = 0.020, R = 0.528).

CONCLUSION

The NLR, SII, and SIRI were significantly elevated in young patients with RVO, especially in young patients with ischemic RVO. NLR and SII were positively correlated with IL-6 levels in aqueous humor, which indicated that systemic inflammation plays an important role in the onset of RVO in young patients.

SOX4 promotes high-glucose-induced inflammation and angiogenesis of retinal endothelial cells by activating NF-κB signaling pathway

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a type of main microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and an important factor that causes blindness in adults. SOX4 is a transcription factor expressed in the pancreas and is essential for normal endocrine pancreatic development. However, the effect and the regulatory mechanism of SOX4 on DR have not been reported. In the present study, upregulation of SOX4 was found in DM patients, particularly in DR patients and mice models. The in vitro experiments showed that SOX4 depletion increased the viability and inhibited the inflammation level of human retinal endothelial cells (HRCECs) induced by high glucose. Besides, SOX4 knockdown inhibited the migration and angiogenesis of HRCECs upon high glucose treatment. Mechanically, depletion of SOX4 inhibited the NF-κB pathway. Therefore, SOX4 could serve as a promising target for DR treatment.

Association between red blood cell distribution width‐to‐albumin ratio and diabetic retinopathy

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has shown a trend of reaching pandemic levels in the world. Chronic inflammation is a key factor in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Red blood cell distribution width‐to‐albumin ratio (RA) is used to assess immune status and the immune response. Our study was conducted to assess the association between DR and RA levels to determine the value of RA in predicting DR.

Methods

The data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2006, The RA was calculated as the Red Blood Cell Distribution Width/Albumin Ratio. Multivariable logistic regression and propensity score‐matched analysis were used to examine the association between RA and DR levels.

Results

The clinical and demographic features of the 1,751 patients with DM. The eligible participants included 874 females and 870 males with mean age 62.2 ± 14.0 years, and mean RA 3.2 ± 0.5. RA ≥ 2.9659 was a risk factor for DR (OR = 1.66 95% CI: 1.31–2.11, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for age, sex, race, education, marital status, ratio of family income to poverty, body mass index, fasting glucose, hypertension, and coronary heart disease, RA ≥ 2.9659 was an independent risk factor for DR (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.23–2.19, p = 0.0008). The propensity score‐matched analysis also showed that high RA was an independent risk factor for DR.

Conclusions

Our study shows that RA is a risk factor for patients with DR. The findings of this study should be validated the role of RA in DR in diabetic patients.

ΔRDW: A Novel Indicator with Predictive Value for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Diseases

Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a powerful predictor of poor prognosis in a variety of diseases, but a single measurement of RDW cannot reflect the dynamic change of diseases. ΔRDW, as a risk stratification tool, can be used to record changes in RDW before and after treatment; also, it allows investigators to name the unit change of RDW in the studied population. So far, there have been few relevant studies on the predictive value of ΔRDW for different diseases; this article aims to review the studies and summaries of the current understandings on the correlation between ΔRDW and disease outcomes.