LASER FLARE INTENSITY IN DIABETICS - CORRELATION WITH RETINOPATHY ANDAQUEOUS PROTEIN-CONCENTRATION

The laser flare intensity in diabetics, measured with the scattering o f a light beam, was evaluated and compared with actual aqueous protein concentration obtained during surgery. Measurement of laser flare the intensity in 120 diabetics and 108 normal subjects was performed with the laser flare cell meter.(FC1000 Kowa, Tokyo). Aqueous protein conc entration in 26 diabetics and six controls who underwent intraocular s urgery was measured by the method of Bradford. No significant differen ce in the laser flare intensity was found between normal subjects and diabetics without retinopathy. A significant increase in the laser fla re intensity was observed after six decades in diabetics with backgrou nd retinopathy and all with proliferative retinopathy. The laser flare intensity correlated with the duration of diabetes mellitus. There wa s a significant linear relation between the laser flare intensity and actual aqueous protein concentration. The linear regression formula wa s X=Y-I.39 X 1.02 (X=protein concentration, mg/dl; Y=flare intensity, photon counts/ms). The precise value of the laser flare intensity prov ides a new indicator to evaluate the diabetic change in the function o f the ocular barrier.