Abstract
Purpose :
Purpose: Vitamin D is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic effects in addition to calcium metabolism in the body. Recently, there have been reports on the relationship between serum vitamin D deficiency and various eye diseases such as dry eye syndrome, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and myopia. Most vitamin D-related studies have been only based on serum vitamin D levels. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between the vitamin D and diabetic macular edema (DME) through the analysis of aqueous humor vitamin D level and serum vitamin D level.
Methods :
Methods: We recruited DME group (n=30) and control group (n=35). Aqueous humor sampling in DME group was done after intravitreal injection, and aqueous humor sampling in control group was performed during cataract surgery. Serum vitamin D levels was also measured in venous blood of patients with DME group and control group. Vitamin D was analyzed by colorimetric and competitive assay with ELISA kit.
Results :
Results: The aqeuous humor vitamin D level in DME patients was significantly higher as compared to that in controls (41.6 ng/ml vs 25.5 ng/ml; p<0.001). The serum vitamin D level increased with increasing age (standardized coefficient ß = 0.382, p=0.001), and higher vitamin intake (standardized coefficient ß = 0.248, p=0.032). The aqueous humor vitamin D level was higher with presence of DME (standardized coefficient ß = 0.775, p<0.001), and with higher BMI (standardized coefficient ß = 0.198, p=0.009). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the central macular thickness and the aqueous humor vitamin D level at 1 month after intravitreal injection in DME patients (r=0.380, p=0.046). However, there was no significant correlation between serum vitamin D level and serum vitamin level (DME group, 14.3 ± 9.1 ng/ml vs control group, 16.2 ± 8.0 ng/ml, p=0.374).
Conclusions :
Conclusions: In this study, we examined aqueous humor vitamin D level in DME patients, then compared this with serum vitamin D level. Then, there was no significant difference in serum vitamin D level between the DME group and the control group, but higher aqueous humor vitamin D was measured in the DME group. Further study is needed to determine the mechanism of vitamin D entry into the eye and the correlation between higher vitamin D in the eye and the risk of ocular disease.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.