The following is a summary of “Metabolites as Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A 12-Year Follow-up Study,” published in the January 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Silva, et al.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent microvascular complication among individuals with diabetes and remains a leading cause of blindness. Recent advancements in omics, particularly metabolomics, offer promising avenues for identifying potential biomarkers associated with DR. For a study, researchers sought to discover metabolites linked to diabetic retinopathy.

A longitudinal study spanning 12 years was conducted, involving 1,349 participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, selected from the METSIM cohort. Among these, 1,021 had no DR at baseline, while 328 had DR. Participants with pre-existing retinopathy were excluded (n = 63). Diagnosis of retinopathy relied on fundus photography examination. Non-targeted metabolomics profiling was conducted to identify relevant metabolites.

Seventeen metabolites were significantly associated with incident DR after adjusting for confounding variables. Notably, among amino acids, N-lactoyl isoleucine, N-lactoyl valine, N-lactoyl tyrosine, N-lactoyl phenylalanine, N-(2-furoyl) glycine, and 5-hydroxylysine were linked to increased DR risk, while citrulline was associated with decreased risk. Regarding fatty acids, N,N, N-trimethyl-5-aminovalerate increased DR risk, while myristoleate (14:1n5), palmitoleate (16:1n7), and 5-dodecenoate (12:1n7) decreased it. Additionally, sphingomyelin (d18:2/24:2) exhibited a reduced risk association. Other compounds like carboxylic acid maleate, 3-hydroxypyridine sulfate, 4-vinylphenol sulfate, 4-ethylcatechol sulfate, and dimethyl sulfone were associated with increased DR risk.

The large-scale longitudinal study was the first to identify metabolites associated with DR in a population-based setting. Multiple metabolites from diverse metabolic pathways were linked with increased and decreased risk for DR, providing valuable insights for further research and potential clinical applications.

Reference: academic.oup.com/jcem/article/109/1/100/7240444