Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Changes of Circulating Acylated Ghrelin and Neutrophils Elastase in Diabetic Retinopathy Progression

Maria Consiglia Trotta
ORCID logo ,
Carlo Gesualdo
,
Marina Russo
,
Caterina Claudia Lepre
,
Francesco Petrillo
,
Maria Giovanna Vastarella
,
Maddalena Nicoletti
,
Francesca Simonelli
,
Anca Hermenean
ORCID logo ,
Michele D’Amico
ORCID logo ,
Settimio Rossi
*
Version 1 : Received: 20 November 2023 / Approved: 21 November 2023 / Online: 22 November 2023 (08:20:19 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Trotta, M.C.; Gesualdo, C.; Russo, M.; Lepre, C.C.; Petrillo, F.; Vastarella, M.G.; Nicoletti, M.; Simonelli, F.; Hermenean, A.; D’Amico, M.; Rossi, S. Changes in Circulating Acylated Ghrelin and Neutrophil Elastase in Diabetic Retinopathy. Medicina 2024, 60, 118. Trotta, M.C.; Gesualdo, C.; Russo, M.; Lepre, C.C.; Petrillo, F.; Vastarella, M.G.; Nicoletti, M.; Simonelli, F.; Hermenean, A.; D’Amico, M.; Rossi, S. Changes in Circulating Acylated Ghrelin and Neutrophil Elastase in Diabetic Retinopathy. Medicina 2024, 60, 118.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Since the protective role of ghrelin against high glucose-induced retinal damage was not yet explored, we aimed to investigate the serum levels of total ghrelin (TG), its acylated (AG) and des-acylated (DAG) forms in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients. Moreover, the correlation between serum ghrelin and neutrophil elastase (NE) levels, enhancing the risk of microhemorrhages, was investigated; Materials and Methods: Serum markers were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays in 12 non-diabetic subjects (CTRL), 15 diabetic patients without DR (Diabetic), 15 patients with non-proliferative (NPDR) and 15 patients with proliferative DR (PDR); Results: TG and AG serum levels were significantly decreased in NPDR (P < 0.01 vs Diabetic) and in PDR patients (P < 0.01 vs NPDR). AG serum levels were inversely associated with DR progression (r = -0.83,P < 0.01), serum neutrophils percentage (r = -0.74, P < 0.01) and serum NE levels (r = -0.73, P < 0.01). These were significantly increased in NPDR (P < 0.01 vs Diabetic) and PDR (P < 0.01 vs PDR) groups, positively correlating with DR progression (r = 0.86, P < 0.01). Conclusions: The reduction of circulating AG and its association with the increased risk of microhemorrhages could be considered a novel marker for DR progression.

Keywords

diabetic retinopathy; ghrelin; neutrophils; neutrophil extracellular traps

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Ophthalmology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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