Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most prominent pathologic vascular complications of diabetes and is the most common cause of blindness in the working-age group.
The most common cause of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy is diabetic macular edema.Diabetic retinopathy can be classified into two categories: non-proliferative and proliferative. Risk factors include duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, hypertension, diabetic nephropathy and dyslipidemia.
Screening is important to early detect preventable blindness. In type 2 diabetes patients, first eye examination should be initiated once a diagnosis of diabetes is confirmed, for type 1 diabetes, the timing being extended to 5 years after the onset of diabetes.
Pentraxins are a superfamily of evolutionarily conserved molecules with multi-functional roles in innate immunity and inflammation, such as regulation of complement activation and opsonization of pathogens. Pentraxin 3, a member of the pentraxin superfamily, includes C‐reactive protein and serum amyloid P. Pentraxin 3 is produced in response to inflammatory stimuli within a variety of cell types and tissues, in particular within the vasculature.
Pentraxin 3, as a long pentraxin, is produced by peripheral tissues and reflects impaired vascular endothelial function. Pentraxin 3 is an acute-phase reactant with a cyclic multimericstructure. Pentraxin 3 may reflect local inflammatory status in tissues and may serve as a biomarker of inflammation.