Investigation of the association between lens autofluorescence ratio and diabetes: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy Vol. 38; p. 102888
• Main Authors: Yao, Jiashu, Li, Wei, Liu, Yu, Wu, Tongzhi, Wang, Duolao, Arezina, Radivoj, Sun, Zilin, Qiu, Shanhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2022
• Subjects: Adult; Advanced glycation end products; Blood Glucose; Cross-Sectional Studies; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Glycated Hemoglobin A; Glycation End Products, Advanced; glycemia; Humans; lens autofluorescence ratio; Photochemotherapy - methods; glycemia; Advanced glycation end products; lens autofluorescence ratio; diabetes
• ISSN: 1572-1000; 1873-1597
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2022.102888

•High LFR was related to poor glycemia represented by fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c.•An increase in LFR was associated with higher risk of diabetes, independent of traditional diabetic risk factors.•Insulin resistance (evaluated by triglyceride-glucose index) might underpin the association between LFR and diabetes. Lens autofluorescence ratio (LFR) is a novel approach to detect advanced glycation end products in a time-saving and non-invasive manner. However, its associations with glycemia and diabetes remain unclear. We conducted this study to address this issue in Chinese adults. We enrolled a total of 4,705 participants aged 20-70 years in China between May 2020 and January 2021 in a cross-sectional study. LFR was determined by biomicroscopy (ClearPath DS-120). Diabetes was ascertained by oral glucose tolerance test, self-reported history, and/or antidiabetic medication use. Correlation and logistic regression analyses were performed. LFR was higher in participants with diabetes than those without (23.27 ± 6.51 vs. 19.45 ± 5.08, p < 0.001). LFR correlated with fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c in the overall and diabetes-stratified populations. The odds of diabetes was increased by 6% per one percent higher of LFR after multivariable-adjustment (odds ratio (OR) 1.06, 95% CI 1.04-1.08, p < 0.001). Participants in the highest quartile of LFR had higher odds of diabetes compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.33-2.52, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that, insulin resistance, as assessed by triglyceride-glucose index, may underline the relationship between high LFR and increased odds of diabetes. LFR, a non-invasive indirect measure of advanced glycation end products, appears to be associated with glycemia and the risk of developing diabetes in Chinese adults.