The Mediation Of HIF-1α To The Expression Of CD18 And ICAM-1 In Diabetic Condition

Background More and more evidence show that diabetic retinopathy (DRP) is an inflammatory disease at chronic low grade. During the inflammatory process, increased leukocyte adhesion to retinal vasculature was a critical early event. Among these leukocytes, most are neutrophils. The adhesion of leukocyte with vascular endothelium depends on the expression of classic adhesion molecules, including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on the vascular endothelium and β₂ integrins (CD18) on the leucocytes.The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is one of the master regulators of oxygen homeostasis. Recent investigations have revealed that HIF-1α is also an important regulator of inflammation. Under hy-poxia condition, HIF-1α could regulate the expression of CD18 and ICAM-1 and restrain leukocyte adhesion to endothelium. But it is still unclear whether or not HIF-1α could regulate the expression of CD18 and ICAM-1 and the leukocyte adhesion to endothelium under early diabetic retinopathy condition. Purpose: To investigate the mediation of the expression of CD18 and ICAM-1 and the leukocyte adhesion to retinal vascular endothelium by HIF-la under early stage of diabetic retinopathy condition, and to determine the possibility to take HIF-1α as a new therapeutic target for diabetic retinopathy. Methods: (1) Distinct stages of DRP patients and healthy controls were re-...