Influence of diabetic retinopathy on peripheral blood gene expression

To understand the association between systemic factors and the diabetic retinopathy, blood samples were collected in 50 healthy controls, 74 diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (DM group), and 69 diabetic retinopathy (DR Group). T1DM and T2DM in this study was based on the diagnostic criteria for diabetes proposed by the WHO in 1999. The diagnosis of DR was based on the international clinical classification of DR proposed at the 2002 International Ophthalmology Conference. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of three patient groups. Overall design: Comparative gene expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data between DR Group and healthy controls and between DR Group and DM group.