DR. AKSHAY MOHAN

DR. SANDEEP SAXENA, DR. ASTHA JAIN, DR. APJIT KAUR

Abstract

PURPOSE: To study the association of serum cortisol and VEGF levels with severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS: Forty-six consecutive cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. Retinopathy was graded according to ETDRS classification. Diabetes with no retinopathy (No DR; n=15); non-proliferative DR (NPDR; n=16); proliferative DR (PDR; n=15) and healthy controls (n=15) were included, after sample size calculation. Serum Cortisol was analyzed using chemiluminescence micro particle assay method. Assay of VEGF was performed using the Human VEGF enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit procured from Invitrogen (Carlsbad, CA).

RESULTS: Mean serum cortisol levels (µg/dL) were: controls=8.22±2.97, No DR=10.25±1.38, NPDR=12.00±2.54 and PDR=13.19±2.17. Mean serum VEGF levels (pg/ml) were: controls=146.6±64.7, No DR=201.9±108.1, NPDR=323.0±123.5 and PDR=416.6±204.3.

CONCLUSIONS: Raised serum cortisol and VEGF levels correlated significantly with severity of DR (p<0.001).