Diabetic Retinopathy Is Associated With Elevated Serum Asymmetric and Symmetric

OBJECTIVE — Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), and L-arginine directly influence nitric oxide production. Our objective was to test whether serum ADMA, SDMA, or L-arginine levels correlate with diabetic retinopathy subtype or severity. RESEARCH DESIGN ANDMETHODS — A total of 162 subjects with type 1 diabetes and 343 with type 2 diabetes, of whom 329 subjects had no diabetic retinopathy, 27 had nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), 101 had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and 107 had clinically significant macular edema (CSME), were recruited. Blinding diabeti