Total Protein Concentration and Tumor Necrosis Factor α in Tears of Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Significance: Total protein concentration (TPC) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) concentration in tears are correlated with severity of retinopathy. However, minimal data are available in the literature for investigating tear TPC and TNF-α concentrations in Asian individuals with different severity of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Purpose: This study evaluated differences of TPC and TNF-α concentrations in tears at different severity of NPDR among participants with diabetes in comparison with normal participants.