Project description:The goal of the study was to identify genes whose aberrant expression can contribute to diabetic retinopathy. We determined differential response in gene expression to high glucose in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from matched type 1 diabetic individuals with and without retinopathy. Those genes exhibiting the largest difference in glucose response between diabetic subjects with and without retinopathy were assessed for association to diabetic retinopathy utilizing genotype data from a meta-genome-wide association study. All genetic variants associated with gene expression (expression QTLs; eQTLs) of the glucose response genes were tested for association with diabetic retinopathy. We detected an enrichment of the glucose response gene eQTLs among small association p-values for diabetic retinopathy. Among these, we identified FLCN as a susceptibility gene for diabetic retinopathy. Expression of FLCN in response to glucose is greater in individuals with diabetic retinopathy compared to diabetic individuals without retinopathy. Three large, independent cohorts of diabetic individuals revealed an enhanced association of FLCN eQTL to diabetic retinopathy. Mendelian randomization confirmed a direct positive effect of increased FLCN expression on retinopathy in diabetic individuals. Together, our studies integrating genetic association and gene expression implicate FLCN as a disease gene in diabetic retinopathy.
Project description:Identification of tear fluid biomarkers may offer a non-invasive strategy for detecting diabetic patients with increased risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR) or increased disease progression, thus helping both improving diagnostic accuracy and understanding the pathophysiology of the disease. The goal of this study was to characterize the proteomic profile of human tear fluid and examine changes in proteins expression in different stages of diabetic retinopathy.
Project description:Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in diabetic patients. Emerging evidence suggests that retinal neurodegeneration is an early event in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, but the underlying causes of neuronal loss are unknown. To unravel potential mechanisms underlying early retinal neurodegeneration in diabetic retinopathy, a gene expression profiling study was undertaken to compare the gene expression in retinas of 8-week db/db diabetic mice with that of lean non-diabetic littermates. Retinas were obtained from 8-week db/db diabetic mice and age-matched lean non-diabetic controls. Total RNA was extracted and processed for being hybridized onto affymetrix DNA microarrays.
Project description:The development of diabetic retinopathy is well characterized on a histological level. Early vascular alterations involve the loss of pericytes. Earlier mechanisms leading to the phenotype of diabetic retinopathy, which involves the complete neurovascular unit, are not yet fully understood. The gene expression data presented here is derived from microarrays and gives further insights into early genetic regulation in incipient diabetic retinopathy.
Project description:Our main purpose is to screen specific biomarkers for supporting diagnoses of type-2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN), type-2 diabetic retinopathy (T2DR), and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) without these complications. The miRNA expression database was built to study T2D in humans with the performance of the GeneChip™ miRNA 4.0 array analysis. The notable highlight of the analysis results in RNA expression shows there are three main groups which include one control group and two diabetic groups. It is used to apply grouping to the miRNA-expression analysis.
Project description:Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in diabetic patients. Emerging evidence suggests that retinal neurodegeneration is an early event in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, but the underlying causes of neuronal loss are unknown. To unravel potential mechanisms underlying early retinal neurodegeneration in diabetic retinopathy, a gene expression profiling study was undertaken to compare the gene expression in retinas of 8-week db/db diabetic mice with that of lean non-diabetic littermates.
Project description:Non-proliferative Diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) is the early stage of diabetic retinopathy, which features the imbalance between anti-angiogenic and pro-angiogenic factors. The exact regulatory mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to unravel novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying the endothelial dysfunction in NPDR by investigating the newly discovered miRNAs that enriched in the plasma of DR.
Project description:Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication that may cause severe visual impairment and blindness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Early detection of DR will provide opportunities for more treatment options and better control of disease progression. Effective biomarkers, which are not currently available, may improve clinical outcomes through precise diagnosis and prognosis. We sought to develop a non-invasive diagnostic approach for diabetic retinopathy among type 2 diabetes mellitus based on 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC), an emerging epigenetic marker, in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA)
