The Association between Pancreatic Steatosis and Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

• Published in: Diabetes & metabolism journal Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 425 - 432
• Main Authors: Jeong, Jee Sun, Kim, Mee Kyung, Han, Kyung Do, Hong, Oak Kee, Baek, Ki-Hyun, Song, Ki-Ho, Chung, Dong Jin, Lee, Jung-Min, Kwon, Hyuk-Sang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Diabetes Association / Daehan Dangnyobyeong Hakoe 01.10.2018; Korean Diabetes Association; 대한당뇨병학회
• Subjects: Abdomen; Antigens; Atherosclerosis; Body mass index; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Diabetic retinopathy; Fats; Glucose; Hypertension; Insulin resistance; Medical research; Obesity; Original; Pancreas; Peptides; Spleen; 내과학; Japan; Diabetic retinopathy; Fats; Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Pancreas
• ISSN: 2233-6079; 2233-6087
• DOI: 10.4093/dmj.2017.0107

Whether pancreatic steatosis has a local or systemic effect, like ectopic fat of other major organs, remains unknown. Data on the influence of pancreatic steatosis on microvascular complication are rare. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between pancreatic steatosis and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The attenuation of three pancreatic regions (head, body, and tail) and the spleen (S) in 186 patients with T2DM was measured using non-enhanced computed tomography imaging. We used three parameters for the assessment of pancreatic steatosis ('P' mean: mean attenuation of three pancreatic regions; P-S: difference between 'P' mean and 'S'; P/S: the 'P' mean to 'S' ratio). The presence of DR was assessed by an expert ophthalmologist using dilated fundoscopy. The average P mean was 29.02 Hounsfield units (HU), P-S was -18.20 HU, and P/S was 0.61. The three pancreatic steatosis parameters were significantly associated with the prevalence of DR in non-obese T2DM patients. In the non-obese group, the odds ratios of P mean, P-S, and P/S for the prevalence of DR, after adjustment for age, sex, and glycosylated hemoglobin level, were 2.449 ( =0.07), 2.639 ( =0.04), and 2.043 ( =0.02), respectively. In this study, pancreatic steatosis was significantly associated with DR in non-obese patients with T2DM. Further studies are necessary to clarify the causal relationship between pancreatic steatosis and the development of DR.