The Expression And Significance Of NLRP3 Inflammasome And Its Downstream Factors IL-1β And IL-18 In Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy(DR) is a common and serious complication of diabetes, seriously affecting the vision of patients. It is one of the main diseases of blindness and now has become the world’s hot issue of prevention and treatment of blindness. Many systemic and local factors can influence the development of DR. Various stimulation of inflammatory factors and cytokines play an important regulatory role. In recent study of vascular and microvascular disease of diabetes, inflammation theory has become one of the major and hot issue and many inflammatory factors have been involved in the development of DR. NLRP3 inflammasome is a member of cytoplasm pattern recognition receptor. The recent studies showed that NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and interleukin-18(IL-18) was closely related to the development of diabetes. It is uncertain whether NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors plays a crucial role in DR. By detecting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in epiretinal membrane(ERM) and its downstream factors IL-1β and IL-18 in vitreous body, we try to further clarify the pathogenesis of DR and look for new target therapy to provide the basis. ObjectiveBy detecting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in ERM and its downstream factors IL-1β and IL-18 in vitreous body, we try to explore the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the development of DR and further clarify the pathogenesis of DR and look for new target therapy to provide the basis. MethodsDuring June 2015 and December 2015, thirty-six patients who underwent vitrectomy in the Ophthalmology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were divided into two groups including a group of proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)(n=20) and a group of idiopathic macular hole(IMH)(n=16). Use immunohistochemical staining to detect the expression of NLRP3 in ERM, including PDR group 8 cases and control group 5 cases. The level of IL-1β and IL-18 in vitreous body were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) including PDR group 20 cases and control group 16 cases. Results1.The expression of NLRP3 in ERM of PDR group is higher, and of IMH group is lower.2.The level of IL-1β in vitreous body of PDR group is 31.17±37.95, and of IMH group is 4.00±4.08. The level of IL-1β of PDR group is higher than IMH group. The difference has statistical significance(P<0.05).3.The level of IL-18 in vitreous body of PDR group is 97.00±85.37, and of IMH group is 55.00±52.32. The level of IL-18 of PDR group is higher than IMH group. But the difference has no statistical significance(P>0.05). Conclusion1.The expression of NLRP3 in ERM of PDR group is higher than IMH group.2.NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors IL-1β express higher in the DR.It shows that NLRP3-dependent IL-1β signalling plays a crucial role in DR. Interference with the transmission of the signal pathway of NLRP3 inflammasome can be used as a new target for the treatment of DR.