Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a novel biomarker of vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, has been identified as a potential predictor of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This meta-analysis aimed to assess the association between circulating PTX3 levels and both the presence and seve...

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Main Authors: Reza Mohammadpour Fard, Negar Sadat Sherafat, Mohammad Rashno, Seyed Sobhan Bahreiny
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-025-01849-8
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author Reza Mohammadpour Fard
Negar Sadat Sherafat
Mohammad Rashno
Seyed Sobhan Bahreiny
author_facet Reza Mohammadpour Fard
Negar Sadat Sherafat
Mohammad Rashno
Seyed Sobhan Bahreiny
author_sort Reza Mohammadpour Fard
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a novel biomarker of vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, has been identified as a potential predictor of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This meta-analysis aimed to assess the association between circulating PTX3 levels and both the presence and severity of DR in patients with diabetes. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to January 2025. Observational studies comparing PTX3 levels between patients with and without DR, as well as proliferative (PDR) and non-proliferative (NPDR) stages, were considered. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effects models. Results A total of 15 studies comprising 1,339 patients with diabetes were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated significantly higher PTX3 levels in the DR group than in the non-DR controls (SMD = 1.232; 95% CI: 0.747, 1.718; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses also indicated significantly elevated PTX3 levels in both NPDR (SMD = 0.928; 95% CI: 0.35, 1.50; p = 0.002) and PDR groups (SMD = 1.99; 95% CI: 0.83, 3.15; p = 0.001) compared to non-DR patients. Comparison of PTX3 levels between PDR and NPDR stages, suggested a possible increase in PDR patients (SMD = 0.635; 95% CI: -0.03, 1.30; p = 0.064). Meta-regression analysis identified HbA1c, BMI, and region as significant moderators of PTX3 levels. Conclusions The significant elevation of PTX3 in both NPDR and PDR underscores its potential as a biomarker for DR diagnosis and monitoring in clinical settings.
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spelling doaj-art-300e186fee2a4dea8bb3fa66da2a09a42025-08-20T03:46:23ZengBMCDiabetology & Metabolic Syndrome1758-59962025-07-0117111310.1186/s13098-025-01849-8Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysisReza Mohammadpour Fard0Negar Sadat Sherafat1Mohammad Rashno2Seyed Sobhan Bahreiny3Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesStudent Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesCellular & Molecular Research Center, Medical Basic Sciences Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a novel biomarker of vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, has been identified as a potential predictor of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This meta-analysis aimed to assess the association between circulating PTX3 levels and both the presence and severity of DR in patients with diabetes. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to January 2025. Observational studies comparing PTX3 levels between patients with and without DR, as well as proliferative (PDR) and non-proliferative (NPDR) stages, were considered. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effects models. Results A total of 15 studies comprising 1,339 patients with diabetes were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated significantly higher PTX3 levels in the DR group than in the non-DR controls (SMD = 1.232; 95% CI: 0.747, 1.718; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses also indicated significantly elevated PTX3 levels in both NPDR (SMD = 0.928; 95% CI: 0.35, 1.50; p = 0.002) and PDR groups (SMD = 1.99; 95% CI: 0.83, 3.15; p = 0.001) compared to non-DR patients. Comparison of PTX3 levels between PDR and NPDR stages, suggested a possible increase in PDR patients (SMD = 0.635; 95% CI: -0.03, 1.30; p = 0.064). Meta-regression analysis identified HbA1c, BMI, and region as significant moderators of PTX3 levels. Conclusions The significant elevation of PTX3 in both NPDR and PDR underscores its potential as a biomarker for DR diagnosis and monitoring in clinical settings.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-025-01849-8Pentraxin 3InflammationDiabetic retinopathyDiabetes mellitusBiomarkersMeta-analysis
spellingShingle Reza Mohammadpour Fard
Negar Sadat Sherafat
Mohammad Rashno
Seyed Sobhan Bahreiny
Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome
Pentraxin 3
Inflammation
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes mellitus
Biomarkers
Meta-analysis
title Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort evaluating pentraxin 3 as a diagnostic biomarker for diabetic retinopathy a systematic review and meta analysis
topic Pentraxin 3
Inflammation
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes mellitus
Biomarkers
Meta-analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-025-01849-8
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