Abstract

Diabetes mellitus can cause a decrease in tear secretion and tear film composition, resulting in a series of pathological changes such as the stability of tear film, the increased risk of inflammation, peripheral neuropathy and impairment of meibomian glands, leading to dry eye. The imbalance of inflammatory mediators in diabetic patients and the injury of ocular surface are the main factors that aggravate dry eye. Nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome was related to the occurrence and development of various systemic diseases. Evaluate the difference between nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome and diabetic dry eye parameters in diabetic dry eye patients, analyze the trend of correlation and discuss its mechanism. All subjects received teardrop break time, tear Schirmer’s I test, fluorescein staining score and objective scatter index measurement. The level of nod-like receptor protein 3, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interleukin-18 in tears meanwhile nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interleukin-18, superoxide dismutase, monoamine oxidase type B in serum was measured by double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the promoter gene expression levels of nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, toll-like receptor 4, tumor necrosis factor alpha were determined by real-time quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. BUT in diabetic dry eye patients was shortened, tear Schirmer’s I test and fluorescein staining scores were reduced and the levels of nod-like receptor protein 3, interleukin- 1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 in tear increased significantly while the change of interleukin-10 was nonstatistical significance. Nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-18 in serum were increased significantly and superoxide dismutase, monoamine oxidase type B were decreased statistically, meanwhile, levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-10 has no statistical difference. The results of real-time quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction showed that levels of nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, toll-like receptor 4, tumor necrosis factor alpha were statistically increased also. Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a strong positive correlation between nod-like receptor protein 3 levels and diabetic dry eye. The level of nod-like receptor protein 3 in diabetic dry eye increased significantly. There was a positive correlation between the clinical parameters and nod-like receptor protein 3 levels in diabetic dry eye, suggesting that regulation of nod-like receptor protein 3 level may provide new ideas for preventing and treating diabetic dry eye.