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IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM ASPROSIN LEVELS AND NONPROLIFERATIVE AND PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY?

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 295 - 300, 22.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.53446/actamednicomedia.1679589

Abstract

Objective: Asprosin is a novel adipokine that is released in response to fasting. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of serum asprosin levels in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DRP), and to reveal the possible differences for different stages of diabetes.
Methods: This prospective study included 32 nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDRP) and 28 proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDRP) patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and 30 healthy individuals. Anthropometric measurements were performed for all the subjects. Biochemical parameters were evaluated. Serum asprosin levels were analyzed by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
Results: The fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), triglyceride, and body mass index (BMI) values in the DRP groups were found to be statistically significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.001). The serum asprosin level was significantly higher in the PDRP group than in the NPDRP and control groups, and also in the NPDRP group than in the control group (p<0.001). However, after adjusting for the FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, BMI, HbA1c values, the DM duration, and the presence of systemic hypertension (HT), no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of serum asprosin levels (p=0.879).
Conclusion: Although high serum asprosin levels play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of DRP, it is not an independent risk factor for DRP. Therefore, measuring serum asprosin levels alone is not sufficient to determine the risk of DRP development and progression.

References

  • Fink CW. Proposal for the development of classification criteria for idiopathic arthritides of childhood. J Rheumatol. 1995;22(8):1566-1569.
  • Tan TE, Wong TY. Diabetic retinopathy: Looking forward to 2030. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;13:1077669. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1077669
  • Park YG, Roh YJ. New diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for preventing the progression of diabetic retinopathy. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:1753584. doi:10.1155/2016/1753584
  • Yang J, Liu Z. Mechanistic pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:816400. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.816400
  • Rodriguez-Fontal M, Kerrison JB, Alfaro DV, Jablon EP. Metabolic control and diabetic retinopathy. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2009;5(1):3-7. doi:10.2174/157339909787314176
  • Ghamdi AHA. Clinical predictors of diabetic retinopathy progression; a systemic review. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2020;16(3):242-247. doi:10.2174/1573399815666190215120435
  • Lin KY, Hsih WH, Lin YB, Wen CY, Chang TJ. Update in the epidemiology, risk factors, screening, and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. J Diabetes Investig. 2021;12(8):1322-1325. doi:10.1111/jdi.13480
  • Navaei S, Nazemi S, Emamian MH, Hashemi H, Fotouhi A. Vitamin D deficiency and diabetic retinopathy risk. J Fr Ophthalmol. 2023;46(7):737-741. doi:10.1016/j.jfo.2023.01.024
  • Romere C, Duerrschmid C, Bournat J, et al. Asprosin, a fasting-induced glucogenic protein hormone. Cell. 2016;165(3):566-579. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.063
  • Naiemian S, Naeemipour M, Zarei M, et al. Serum concentration of asprosin in new-onset type 2 diabetes. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2020;12:65. doi:10.1186/s13098-020-00564-w
  • Yuan M, Li W, Zhu Y, Yu B, Wu J. Asprosin: A novel player in metabolic diseases. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:64. doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.00064
  • Wang Y, Qu H, Xiong X, et al. Plasma asprosin concentrations are increased in individuals with glucose dysregulation and correlated with insulin resistance and first-phase insulin secretion. Mediators Inflamm. 2018;2018:9471583. doi:10.1155/2018/9471583
  • American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes-2014. Diabetes Care. 2014;37(suppl 1):14-80. doi:10.2337/dc14-S014
  • Wilkinson CP, Ferris FL 3rd, Klein RE, et al. Global Diabetic Retinopathy Project Group. Proposed international clinical diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema disease severity scales. Ophthalmology. 2003;110(9):1677-1682. doi:10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00475-5
  • Wallace TM, Levy JC, Matthews DR. Use and abuse of HOMA modelling. Diabetes care. 2004;27(6):1487-1495. doi:10.2337/diacare.27.6.1487
  • Lee T, Yun S, Jeong JH, Jung TW. Asprosin impairs insulin secretion in response to glucose and viability through TLR4/JNK-mediated inflammation. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2019;486:96-104. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2019.03.001
  • Papachristoforou E, Lambadiari V, Maratou E, Makrilakis K. Association of gylcemic indices (hyperglycemia, glucose variability, and hypoglycemia) with oxidative stress and diabetic complications. J Diabetes Res. 2020;2020:7489795. doi:10.1155/2020/7489795
  • Atlı H, Onalan E, Yakar B, et al. The relationship of serum asprosin level with diabetic and non-diabetic retinopathy. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022;26(6):2117-2123. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202203_28359
  • Oruc Y, Celik F, Ozgur G, et al. Altered blood and aqueous humor levels of asprosin, 4-hydroxynonenal, and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine in patients with diabetes mellitus and cataract with and without diabetic retinopathy. Retina. 2020;40(12):2410-2416. doi:10.1097/IAE.0000000000002776
  • Yardim M, Celik F, Oruc Y, et al. Serum asprosin levels in patients with retinopathy of prematurity. Turk J Biochem. 2022;47(6):749-755. doi:10.1515/tjb-2022-0019
  • Whitehead M, Wickremasinghe S, Osborne A,Wijngaarden PV, Martin KR. Diabetic retinopathy: a complex pathophysiology requiring novel therapeutic strategies. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2018;18(12):1257-1270. doi:10.1080/14712598.2018.1545836
  • Youngblood H, Robinson R, Sharma A, Sharma S. Proteomic biomarkers of retinal inflammation in diabetic retinopathy. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(19):4755. doi:10.3390/ijms20194755
  • Dai C, Xiao J, Wang C, Li W, Su G. Neurovascular abnormalities in retinopathy of prematurity and emerging therapies. J Mol Med (Berl). 2022;100(6):817-828. doi:10.1007/s00109-022-02195-2
  • Goumans MJ, Liu Z, ten Dijke P. TGF-β signaling in vascular biology and dysfunction. Cell Res. 2009;19(1):116-127. doi:10.1038/cr.2008.326
  • Muthu ML, Reinhardt DP. Fibrillin -1 and fibrillin-1-derived asprosin in adipose tissue function and metabolic disorders. J Cell Commun Signal. 2020;14(2):159-173. doi:10.1007/s12079-020-00566-3
  • Shabir K, Gharanei S, Orton S, et al. Asprosin exerts pro-inflammatory effects in THP-1 macrophages mediated via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) Pathway. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;24(1):227. doi:10.3390/ijms24010227
  • Lu Y, Yuan W, Xiong X, et al. Asprosin aggravates vascular endothelial dysfunction via disturbing mitochondrial dynamics in obesity models. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023;31(3):732-743. doi:10.1002/oby.23656
  • Mirr M, Braszak-Cymerman A, Ludziejewska A, et al. Serum asprosin correlates with indirect insulin resistance indices. Biomedicines. 2023;11(6):1568. doi:10.3390/biomedicines11061568
  • Zhang L, Chen C, Zhou N, Fu Y, Cheng X. Circulating asprosin concentrations are increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus and independently associated with fasting glucose and triglyceride. Clin Chim Acta. 2019;489:183-188. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2017.10.034
  • Dirani M, Xie J, Fenwick E, et al. Are obesity and anthropometry risk factors for diabetic retinopathy? The diabetes management project. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52(7):4416-4421. doi:10.1167/iovs.11-7208
  • Farrag M, Eldjoudi DA, González-Rodríguez M, et al. Asprosin in health and disease, a new glucose sensor with central and peripheral metabolic effects. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;13:1101091. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1101091
  • Kang Q, Yang C. Oxidative stress and diabetic retinopathy: Molecular mechanisms, pathogenetic role and therapeutic implications. Redox Biol. 2020;37:101799.
  • Hietala K, Wadén J, Forsblom C, et al. FinnDiane Study Group. HbA1c variability is associated with an increased risk of retinopathy requiring laser treatment in type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2013;56(4):737-745. doi:10.1007/s00125-012-2816-6
  • Matsushita Y, Yokoyama T, Takeda N, et al. A comparison in the ability to detect diabetic retinopathy between fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels in a longitudinal study. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2020;4(1):e00196. doi:10.1002/edm2.196
  • Li J, Shi L, Zhao G, et al. High triglyceride levels increase the risk of diabetic microvascular complications: a cross-sectional-study. Lipids Health Dis. 2023;22(1):109. doi:10.1186/s12944-023-01873-5
  • Duţă I, Fica S, Ion DA. The association between insulin resistance and proliferative retinopathy in Type 1 diabetes. Rom J Intern Med. 2015;53(3):261-266. doi:10.1515/rjim-2015-0034

SERUM ASPROSİN DÜZEYLERİ İLE NONPROLİFERATİF VE PROLİFERATİF DİYABETİK RETİNOPATİ ARASINDA BİR İLİŞKİ VAR MIDIR?

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 295 - 300, 22.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.53446/actamednicomedia.1679589

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmamızdaki amacımız serum asprosin seviyelerinin diyabetik retinopati (DR) patogenezindeki rolünü araştırmak ve diyabetin farklı evreleri için olası farklılıkları ortaya koymaktı.
Yöntem: Bu prospektif çalışmaya Tip 2 diyabetes mellitus (T2DM)’lu, 32 nonproliferatif diyabetik retinopati (NPDR), 28 proliferatif diyabetik retinopati (PDR) hastası ile 30 sağlıklı birey dahil edildi. Tüm katılımcıların antropometrik ölçümleri yapıldı. Biyokimyasal parametreler değerlendirildi. Serum asprosin seviyeleri enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edildi.
Bulgular: Açlık kan glukozu (AKG), insülin, insülin direncinin homeostaz modeliyle değerlendirmesi (HOMA-IR), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), trigliserid ve vücut kitle indeksi (VKİ) değerleri; DR gruplarında kontrol grubuna göre istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı derecede daha yüksek bulundu (p<0,001). Serum asprosin seviyesi, PDR grubunda NPDR ve kontrol grubuna göre; NPDR grubunda ise kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı derecede daha yüksekti (p<0,001). Ancak AKG, insülin, HOMA-IR, VKİ, HbA1c değerleri, DM süresi ve sistemik hipertansiyon (HT) varlığı ile ilgili düzenleme yapıldıktan sonra serum asprosin seviyeleri açısından gruplar arasında istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı farklılık izlenmedi (p=0,879).
Sonuç: Yüksek serum asprosin seviyeleri DR patogenezinde ve progresyonunda rol oynamakla birlikte DR için bağımsız bir risk faktörü değildir. Bu nedenle DR gelişimi ve progresyonu riskini belirlemede, serum asprosin seviyelerinin ölçülmesi tek başına yeterli değildir.

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma için Amasya Üniversitesi Girişimsel Olmayan Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulundan onay alınmıştır (2024/52).

Supporting Institution

Bu çalışma hiçbir kuruluş tarafından desteklenmemiştir.

References

  • Fink CW. Proposal for the development of classification criteria for idiopathic arthritides of childhood. J Rheumatol. 1995;22(8):1566-1569.
  • Tan TE, Wong TY. Diabetic retinopathy: Looking forward to 2030. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;13:1077669. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1077669
  • Park YG, Roh YJ. New diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for preventing the progression of diabetic retinopathy. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:1753584. doi:10.1155/2016/1753584
  • Yang J, Liu Z. Mechanistic pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:816400. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.816400
  • Rodriguez-Fontal M, Kerrison JB, Alfaro DV, Jablon EP. Metabolic control and diabetic retinopathy. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2009;5(1):3-7. doi:10.2174/157339909787314176
  • Ghamdi AHA. Clinical predictors of diabetic retinopathy progression; a systemic review. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2020;16(3):242-247. doi:10.2174/1573399815666190215120435
  • Lin KY, Hsih WH, Lin YB, Wen CY, Chang TJ. Update in the epidemiology, risk factors, screening, and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. J Diabetes Investig. 2021;12(8):1322-1325. doi:10.1111/jdi.13480
  • Navaei S, Nazemi S, Emamian MH, Hashemi H, Fotouhi A. Vitamin D deficiency and diabetic retinopathy risk. J Fr Ophthalmol. 2023;46(7):737-741. doi:10.1016/j.jfo.2023.01.024
  • Romere C, Duerrschmid C, Bournat J, et al. Asprosin, a fasting-induced glucogenic protein hormone. Cell. 2016;165(3):566-579. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.063
  • Naiemian S, Naeemipour M, Zarei M, et al. Serum concentration of asprosin in new-onset type 2 diabetes. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2020;12:65. doi:10.1186/s13098-020-00564-w
  • Yuan M, Li W, Zhu Y, Yu B, Wu J. Asprosin: A novel player in metabolic diseases. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:64. doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.00064
  • Wang Y, Qu H, Xiong X, et al. Plasma asprosin concentrations are increased in individuals with glucose dysregulation and correlated with insulin resistance and first-phase insulin secretion. Mediators Inflamm. 2018;2018:9471583. doi:10.1155/2018/9471583
  • American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes-2014. Diabetes Care. 2014;37(suppl 1):14-80. doi:10.2337/dc14-S014
  • Wilkinson CP, Ferris FL 3rd, Klein RE, et al. Global Diabetic Retinopathy Project Group. Proposed international clinical diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema disease severity scales. Ophthalmology. 2003;110(9):1677-1682. doi:10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00475-5
  • Wallace TM, Levy JC, Matthews DR. Use and abuse of HOMA modelling. Diabetes care. 2004;27(6):1487-1495. doi:10.2337/diacare.27.6.1487
  • Lee T, Yun S, Jeong JH, Jung TW. Asprosin impairs insulin secretion in response to glucose and viability through TLR4/JNK-mediated inflammation. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2019;486:96-104. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2019.03.001
  • Papachristoforou E, Lambadiari V, Maratou E, Makrilakis K. Association of gylcemic indices (hyperglycemia, glucose variability, and hypoglycemia) with oxidative stress and diabetic complications. J Diabetes Res. 2020;2020:7489795. doi:10.1155/2020/7489795
  • Atlı H, Onalan E, Yakar B, et al. The relationship of serum asprosin level with diabetic and non-diabetic retinopathy. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022;26(6):2117-2123. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202203_28359
  • Oruc Y, Celik F, Ozgur G, et al. Altered blood and aqueous humor levels of asprosin, 4-hydroxynonenal, and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine in patients with diabetes mellitus and cataract with and without diabetic retinopathy. Retina. 2020;40(12):2410-2416. doi:10.1097/IAE.0000000000002776
  • Yardim M, Celik F, Oruc Y, et al. Serum asprosin levels in patients with retinopathy of prematurity. Turk J Biochem. 2022;47(6):749-755. doi:10.1515/tjb-2022-0019
  • Whitehead M, Wickremasinghe S, Osborne A,Wijngaarden PV, Martin KR. Diabetic retinopathy: a complex pathophysiology requiring novel therapeutic strategies. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2018;18(12):1257-1270. doi:10.1080/14712598.2018.1545836
  • Youngblood H, Robinson R, Sharma A, Sharma S. Proteomic biomarkers of retinal inflammation in diabetic retinopathy. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(19):4755. doi:10.3390/ijms20194755
  • Dai C, Xiao J, Wang C, Li W, Su G. Neurovascular abnormalities in retinopathy of prematurity and emerging therapies. J Mol Med (Berl). 2022;100(6):817-828. doi:10.1007/s00109-022-02195-2
  • Goumans MJ, Liu Z, ten Dijke P. TGF-β signaling in vascular biology and dysfunction. Cell Res. 2009;19(1):116-127. doi:10.1038/cr.2008.326
  • Muthu ML, Reinhardt DP. Fibrillin -1 and fibrillin-1-derived asprosin in adipose tissue function and metabolic disorders. J Cell Commun Signal. 2020;14(2):159-173. doi:10.1007/s12079-020-00566-3
  • Shabir K, Gharanei S, Orton S, et al. Asprosin exerts pro-inflammatory effects in THP-1 macrophages mediated via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) Pathway. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;24(1):227. doi:10.3390/ijms24010227
  • Lu Y, Yuan W, Xiong X, et al. Asprosin aggravates vascular endothelial dysfunction via disturbing mitochondrial dynamics in obesity models. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023;31(3):732-743. doi:10.1002/oby.23656
  • Mirr M, Braszak-Cymerman A, Ludziejewska A, et al. Serum asprosin correlates with indirect insulin resistance indices. Biomedicines. 2023;11(6):1568. doi:10.3390/biomedicines11061568
  • Zhang L, Chen C, Zhou N, Fu Y, Cheng X. Circulating asprosin concentrations are increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus and independently associated with fasting glucose and triglyceride. Clin Chim Acta. 2019;489:183-188. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2017.10.034
  • Dirani M, Xie J, Fenwick E, et al. Are obesity and anthropometry risk factors for diabetic retinopathy? The diabetes management project. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52(7):4416-4421. doi:10.1167/iovs.11-7208
  • Farrag M, Eldjoudi DA, González-Rodríguez M, et al. Asprosin in health and disease, a new glucose sensor with central and peripheral metabolic effects. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;13:1101091. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1101091
  • Kang Q, Yang C. Oxidative stress and diabetic retinopathy: Molecular mechanisms, pathogenetic role and therapeutic implications. Redox Biol. 2020;37:101799.
  • Hietala K, Wadén J, Forsblom C, et al. FinnDiane Study Group. HbA1c variability is associated with an increased risk of retinopathy requiring laser treatment in type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2013;56(4):737-745. doi:10.1007/s00125-012-2816-6
  • Matsushita Y, Yokoyama T, Takeda N, et al. A comparison in the ability to detect diabetic retinopathy between fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels in a longitudinal study. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2020;4(1):e00196. doi:10.1002/edm2.196
  • Li J, Shi L, Zhao G, et al. High triglyceride levels increase the risk of diabetic microvascular complications: a cross-sectional-study. Lipids Health Dis. 2023;22(1):109. doi:10.1186/s12944-023-01873-5
  • Duţă I, Fica S, Ion DA. The association between insulin resistance and proliferative retinopathy in Type 1 diabetes. Rom J Intern Med. 2015;53(3):261-266. doi:10.1515/rjim-2015-0034
There are 36 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects Ophthalmology
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Nihat Aydın 0000-0003-0242-0570

Melek Tüfek 0000-0001-5516-7412

Mustafa Çapraz 0000-0001-9586-6509

Duygu Tozcu Yılmaz 0000-0002-3972-5442

Mehmet Ali Gül 0000-0002-5849-0116

Publication Date October 22, 2025
Submission Date April 21, 2025
Acceptance Date September 3, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 8 Issue: 3

Cite

AMA Aydın N, Tüfek M, Çapraz M, Tozcu Yılmaz D, Gül MA. SERUM ASPROSİN DÜZEYLERİ İLE NONPROLİFERATİF VE PROLİFERATİF DİYABETİK RETİNOPATİ ARASINDA BİR İLİŞKİ VAR MIDIR? Acta Medica Nicomedia. October 2025;8(3):295-300. doi:10.53446/actamednicomedia.1679589

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