A new predictive model for the concurrent risk of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients and the effect of metformin on amino acids

OBJECTIVE: This study established a model to predict the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) with amino acids selected by partial least squares (PLS) method, and evaluated the effect of metformin on the effect of amino acids on DR in the model. METHODS: In Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China, we retrieved 1031 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University. After sorting the amino acids using the PLS method, the top 10 amino acids were included in the model. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between different amino acids and DR. And then the effects of metformin on amino acids were explored through interaction. Finally, Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between different amino acids. RESULTS: After sorting by PLS, Gly, Pro, Leu, Lyr, Glu, Phe, Tyr, His, Val and Ser were finally included in the DR risk prediction model. The predictive model after adding amino acids was statistically different from the model that only included traditional risk factors (p=0.001). Metformin had a significant effect on the relationship between DR and 7 amino acids (Gly, Glu, Phe, Tyr, His, Val, Ser, p<0.05), and the population who are not using metformin and have high levels of Glu (OR: 0.44, 95%CI: 0.27-0.71) had an additive protection effect for the occurrence of DR. And the similar results can be seen in high levels of Gly (OR: 0.46, 95%CI: 0.29-0.75), Leu (OR: 0.48, 95%CI: 0.29-0.8), His (OR: 0.46, 95%CI: 0.29-0.75), Phe (OR: 0.24, 95%CI: 0.14-0.42) and Tyr (OR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.24 -0.68) in population who are not using metformin. CONCLUSIONS: We established a prediction model of DR by amino acids and found that the use of metformin reduced the protective effect of amino acids on DR developing, suggesting that amino acids as biomarkers for predicting DR would be affected by metformin use.