Prediction of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by using monocyte to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio

Purpose Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss and impairment in developed countries. Inflammation is considered one of the main reasons for the progression of diabetes complications. We investigated the relationship of monocyte/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio (MHR) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods A total of 118 T2DM patients, 60 of whom had DR, and 58 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. MHR was calculated by blood sampling after a complete ophthalmologic examination on all subjects. Results MHR was higher in T2DM patients with DR compared to both the control group and without DR (p=0.018). There was a significant positive correlation between MHR and DR (r=0.256 p=0.004). Additionally, MHR was an independent predictor of DR according to multivariate regression analysis (OR=1.197, p=0.009). DR could be predicted with 92% sensitivity and 84% specificity when MHR was 16.05, whereas DR predicted with 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity when MHR was 23 in ROC curve analysis (AUC: 0.356, 95% CI 0.251-0.460, p = 0.008). Conclusion This study showed that patients with T2DM may be more likely to develop DR when they have high MHR values. Based on these results, clinicians can also use MHR as a new laboratory marker to predict DR.