Aqueous and Vitreous Levels of Scube-1 in Patients With Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Abstract Background To determine the aqueous humor and vitreous levels of SCUBE-1 in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods A total of 21 patients with PDR and 11 patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (control) were included in this case-control study. The patients with PDR were divided into two groups: patients with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) and patients with tractional retinal detachment (TRD) due to an active fibrovascular membrane. Aqueous and vitreous samples obtained at the beginning of surgery were analyzed for SCUBE-1 levels. Results The mean aqueous humor SCUBE-1 value (ng/mL) was 0.82 ± 0.18 in the VH group, 0.87 ± 0.36 in the TRD group and 0.75 ± 0.29 in the control group. There was no significant differences between groups in terms of aqueous humor SCUBE-1 levels (p > 0.05, for all values). The mean vitreous SCUBE-1 value (ng/mL) was 1.95 ± 0.52 in the VH group, 1.17 ± 0.29 in the TRD group and 0.89 ± 0.21 in the control group. Vitreous SCUBE-1 values in the VH group were significantly higher than in the TRD and control groups (p = 0.034 and p = 0.027, respectively). The difference between the TRD group and control group was also significant in terms of vitreous SCUBE-1 values (p = 0.044). Conclusion Higher vitreous SCUBE-1 levels in patients with VH indicate that SCUBE-1 can be a valuable marker of retinal ischemia in diabetic patients. Further, the lower vitreous levels of SCUBE-1 in patients with TRD may suggest that SCUBE-1 is specifically involved in the angiogenesis phase. Further studies are needed to define the role of SCUBE-1 in the course of PDR.