Measurement of serum and vitreous concentrations of anti-type II collagen antibody in diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Autoimmune mechanisms have been postulated as a cause of diabetic retinopathy (DR), as several autoantibodies have reportedly been detected in the serum of DR patients. In this present study, we measured serum and vitreous levels of anti-type II collagen (anti-II-C) antibodies in DR patients and investigated their association with the mechanism of development of DR.

Patients And Methods: Blood samples were obtained from patients with proliferative DR and from patients with diabetic macular edema who underwent vitrectomy at Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki City, Osaka, Japan.