No difference in serum sialic acid in Type 2 diabetic patients from the United Arab Emirates with and without diabetic retinopathy

Serum total sialic acid (TSA) has recently been shown to be related to diab etic retinopathy. However, there is some controversy as this may be true in European Type 2 diabetic patients but not South Asians. There are few data looking at serum TSA expression in Arab Type 2 diabetic patients from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Eve wished to test the hypothesis that there may be different serum TSA expression in Arab Type 2 diabetic patients as regard to retinopathy. Sixty-five Type 2 diabetic patients from the UAE wer e studied (19 male and 46 female, age 57.5 +/- 9.8 (45-74) years, duration of diabetes 9.4 +/- 5.7 (0-22) years. The serum TSA in 13 patients with dia betic retinopathy was 757 +/- 130 mg/l and 782 +/-: 163 mg/l in those witho ut retinopathy CNS). There was no significant correlation between serum TSA and patient age, serum fructosamine, diabetes duration, or blood pressure. As in South Asians serum TSA does not appear to be elevated in Type 2 diab etic patients from the United Arab Emirates with diabetic retinopathy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.