Page 4
Mimura T, Relationship between HLA and retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes
for predicting the prognosis of retinopathy in patients with younger-onset Type1
diabetes.
INTRODUCTION
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is the main cause of visual disturbance in
Japan, so it is important task to develop methods to prevent the onset and progression
of PDR. In the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy (WESDR), the
prevalence of any grade of retinopathy was 99.5% after >15 years of diabetes, while
67% of younger-onset patients with diabetes for 35 years had PDR.
1
Chronic hyperglycemia and the duration of diabetes are the most important factors
related to retinopathy.
2
However, some patients show progression of retinopathy
despite good glycemic control. Also, among younger-onset patients, some individuals
do not develop retinopathy despite poor glycemic control, while others develop severe
retinopathy that is resistant to retinal photocoagulation.
These facts suggest that the risk factors for diabetes and retinopathy are not necessarily
the same, and that the development of severe retinopathy may be influenced by genetic
factors.
Over the past 10 years, many studies have investigated retinopathy from a genetic
