Authors: Maeda, Makiko; Fujio, Yasushi; Azuma, Junichi

Source: Current Diabetes Reviews, Volume 2, Number 4, November 2006 , pp. 467-476(10)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of catastrophic loss of vision. Each year, DR darkens the lives of 12,000 to 24,000 diabetic patients in the United States, and more than 4,000 patients in Japan. Clinically, hyperglycemia induces proliferative changes in DR synergistically with other risk factors for vascular diseases. Methyl- enetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an enzyme involved in remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. A polymorphic mutation (C677T) in the MTHFR gene leads to impaired enzyme activity, resulting in hyper- homocysteinemia as an independent risk factor for macroangiopathy. Recently, more and more attention has been paid to the involvement of hyperhomocysteinemia in the progression of DR, a serious microangiopathic complication of diabetes. Clinical studies have demonstrated that MTHFR gene polymorphism can contribute to the progression of DR, especially in the patients with blood glucose poorly controlled. Furthermore, accumulating evidence suggests that homocysteine activates vascular inflammation through inflammatory cytokines, including VEGF. These data imply that the decrease in plasma homocysteine could prevent the development and progression of DR. We also propose the possibility of personalized medicine for diabetes mellitus based on a better understanding of MTHFR gene polymorphism and its ramifications, which might cast new light on diabetic retinopathy.

Keywords: Homocysteine; Diabetic retinopathy; MTHFR; Gene polymorphism; Inflammation; Cytokines

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2006-11-01

More about this publication?

• Current Diabetes Reviews publishes frontier reviews on all the latest advances on diabetes and its related areas e.g. pharmacology, pathogenesis, complications, epidemiology, clinical care, and therapy.
  
  The journal's aim is to publish the highest quality review articles dedicated to clinical research in the field. The journal is essential reading for all researchers and clinicians who are involved in the field of diabetes.

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