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ASSOCIATION OF NFE2L2 GENE POLYMORPHISM (rs35652124) WITH DEVELOPMENT OF RETINOPATHY IN IRAQI TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS, IN RELATION TO VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR AND ENDOCAN SERUM LEVELS

SARAH HASHIM MHAIBES 1*, SHATHA H ALI 1

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Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2) is an endogenous anti-oxidative stress signal pathway. The study aims to investigate the relationships between rs35652124 of the NFE2L2 gene with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endocan (END) in a sample of Iraqi patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) compared to diabetic patients without retinopathy. This study included 90 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The sample was divided into Group A: 60 patients with T2DM diagnosed with DR (among them 29 patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 31 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and Group B: 30 patients without evidence of DR (DWR) considered as a control group were enrolled in the study. The rs35652124 (T>C) mutant genotype of the NFE2L2 gene was detected to have a significantly higher expression in the DWR group than in the DR group. However, the serum VEGF and END levels were considerably higher in the DR group than in the DWR group. Hence, the presence of the C mutant allele of rs35652124 (T>C) is associated with the protective effect of DR in T2DM patients. The VEGF and END serum levels are considered endothelial biomarkers for early detection of DR.