Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40582698›Full record

ArticleOphthalmology. Retina2026

Analysis of Aqueous Interleukin-6 in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Prospective, Controlled Trial of 328 Eyes.

Abhiram R Manda, Lok Hin Lee, Megan S Steinkerchner, Jinsong Sheng, Lindsay Veach, Sapna Gangaputra, Stephen J Kim

Abstract readControlled Clinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ophthalmology. Retina, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Abhiram R MandaVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
Lok Hin LeeVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
Megan S SteinkerchnerVanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Jinsong ShengVanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Lindsay VeachVanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Sapna GangaputraVanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Stephen J KimVanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. Electronic address: stephen.j.kim@vumc.org.

Funding

Ocular Inflammatory Mediators in the Pathophysiology of Diabetic RetinopathyR01EY031315 · NEI · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI KIM, STEPHEN JAE · 2020 to 2024
$2.1M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY031315
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo analyze the relationship of aqueous interleukin-6 (IL-6) with diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity.

designProspective, controlled trial at a tertiary academic medical center. SUBJECTS: Three hundred twenty-eight eyes of 164 adult type II diabetic patients with varying levels of DR.

methodsA total of 328 eyes of 164 diabetic patients were enrolled based on DR severity: 46 eyes of 23 patients in the no DR group, 236 eyes of 118 patients in the moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR) group, and 46 eyes of 23 patients in the proliferative DR (PDR) group. ETDRS visual acuity, spectral-domain OCT, and color fundus photographs were taken at baseline. Blood draw and aqueous sampling of each eye was performed. Blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were measured. Aqueous IL-6 was measured using a microparticle bead-based multiplex assay. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Aqueous IL-6 levels, HbA1c, DR severity, Diabetic macular edema (DME).

resultsMedian HbA1c differed between the 3 DR groups (P = 0.03), but there was no correlation between IL-6 and HbA1c (ρ = 0.08, P = 0.179). Baseline aqueous IL-6 levels were significantly different between DR groups. Median IL-6 and interquartile range was 5.40 pg/mL (2.99-8.77) for eyes in the no DR group, 9.25 pg/mL (5.35-22.35) for eyes in the moderate NPDR group, and 15.71 pg/mL (9.24-48.58) for eyes in the PDR group (P < 0.001). Median central subfield thickness (CST) did not differ significantly between the 3 groups (P = 0.351), but there was a significant positive correlation between IL-6 and CST (ρ = 0.18, P = 0.001). There was also a significant positive correlation between IL-6 and macular volume (ρ = 0.12, P = 0.031). Increased IL-6 was significantly associated with increased odds of having DME (odds ratio = 1.00, P = 0.015).

conclusionsWe report the largest analysis of aqueous IL-6 in diabetic eyes. We observed that IL-6 is significantly associated with DR severity and DME. Our results considerably strengthen the prevailing evidence that IL-6 is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of DR and may represent both a biomarker of disease activity and a novel therapeutic target. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Indexed as

Aqueous HumorDiabetic RetinopathyInterleukin-6Visual AcuityAdultAgedBiomarkersDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleFollow-Up StudiesGlycated HemoglobinHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSeverity of Illness IndexBiomarkersGlycated Hemoglobinhemoglobin A1c protein, humanIL6 protein, humanInterleukin-6Diabetic macular edemaDiabetic retinopathyIL-6Inflammatory cytokinesInterleukin-6

Identifiers

PMID40582698
PMCPMC12260920

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.