Objective To investigate the correlation between systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) and other metabolic indicators and diabetic epiretinal membranes (dERM). MethodsA retrospective case-control study. From March 2022 to July 2023, 81 patients (81 eyes) with dERM in Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital of Zhejiang University of Medicine School diagnosed by fundus screening were included in the study. A total of 81 patients (81 eyes) with diabetes who were matched in age, gender, and duration of diabetes and had no dERM or diabetic macular edema in both eyes during fundus screening were selected as the control group. All patients underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination and laboratory tests for peripheral blood neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts, serum albumin, blood lipids, uric acid, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). SII was calculated. Random urine samples were collected for urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) testing. The OCT device's own analysis software obtained the macular volume coefficient, including central foveal thickness (CMT), macular volume, and average macular thickness. The macular volume coefficient, SII, serum albumin, blood lipids, uric acid, HbA1c, and ACR between the two groups were compared using paired t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for dERM; Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between CMT, SII, ACR, disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL), intraretinal cyst (IRC), and hyper-reflective foci (HRF) in patients with dERM. ResultsThere were significant differences in CMT, macular volume, average macular thickness, SII, serum albumin, and ACR between the dERM group and the control group (Z=−7.234, −6.306, −6.400, −3.063, −2.631, −3.868; P＜0.05). Conditional logistics regression analysis showed that high SII [odds ratio (OR)= 3.919, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.591-9.654, P=0.003] and ACR (OR=4.432, 95%CI 1.885-10.420, P=0.001) were risk factors for dERM. Spearman correlation analysis showed that HRF, IRC, DRIL were positively correlated with CMT (Rs=0.234, 0.330, 0.248; P=0.036, 0.003, 0.026); HRF was positively correlated with SII and ACR (Rs=0.233, 0.278; P=0.036, 0.012). ConclusionElevated SII and ACR are independent risk factors for the occurrence of dERM.
ObjectiveTo compare the function and action pathways of VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGFC in VEGF family of mouse eye.MethodsUsing the BXD mouse gene data in Genenetwork database as template to compare and study the similarities and differences of VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGFC molecular pathways or potential functions in the whole genome expression spectrum of BXD recombinant mouse inbred line population, with multiple analytical methods and statistical strategies were used, such as gene expression level, target genes comparison, top genes comparison associated to target genes, expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL).ResultsMatrix comparison showed strong positive correlation between two probes of VEGFC (r=0.732, P＜0.01), weak correlation between VEGFA 1420909 and VEGFC 1440739, VEGFA 1451959 and VEGFC 1451803, VEGFC 1419417959 and VEGFC 1439766, VEGFC 1451803 and VEGFC 1439766 (P＜0.05); there was no correlation between VEGFA 1420909 and four other genes except VEGFC 1440739, VEGFA 1451959 and VEGFC 1440739, VEGFB 1451803 and VEGFA 1420909/VEGFC 1419417/VEGFC 1440739 (P ＞0.05). In the comparative analysis of the relevant Top50 genes of each VEGF gene, most of the genes in BXD mouse were not significantly correlated with VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGFC except for the weak association of individual related genes. The results of eQTL analysis showed that each probe of VEGF gene was located on different chromosomes.ConclusionsThe expression levels and positive and negative correlations of VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGFC were different in the VEGF family of mouse eye, suggesting that these genes may play their role through different pathways.