Abstract:

Objective To explore the correlation between serum angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 168 T2DM patients aged 18-80 years who attended the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University from January 2019 to December 2019 were selected, including 84 patients with DR (DR group) and 84 patients without non-DR (NDR group). The baseline information and serological indicators were collected and compared between the two groups. The risk factors of DR were explored by binary logistic regression analysis, and the predictive value of serum ANGPTL2 and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA₁c) for DR was assessed by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results In the comparison of baseline information, DR group had significantly longer disease duration and smaller hip circumference relative to the NDR group (all P<0.05). In the comparison of serological indicators, DR group had significantly higher serum ANGPTL2, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA₁c, and lower 2-hour postprandial C-peptide compared to the NDR group (all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis suggested that high serum ANGPTL2 (OR=1.766, 95%CI: 1.115-2.797) and HbA₁c (OR=2.423, 95%CI: 1.258-4.669) levels were risk factors for DR (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for serum ANGPTL2 predicting DR was 0.728(95%CI: 0.653-0.803), with a moderate predictive efficacy. The AUC for HbA₁c predicting DR was 0.682(95%CI: 0.580-0.784), with a low predictive efficacy. Conclusion High serum levels of ANGPTL2 and HbA₁c levels are risk factors for DR, and serum ANGPTL2 levels are informative in predicting the disease.

Key words: angiopoietin-like protein 2, type 2 diabetic retinopathy, glycosylated hemoglobin