High levels of erythrocyte aldose reductase and diabetic retinopathy in NIDDM patients.

Erythrocyte aldose reductase was determined in 90 NIDDM patients by a two-site ELISA using recombinant human aldose reductase. The level of aldose reductase did not correlate with age, duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose and HbA1c of the patients. Among 38 patients with diabetes for more than 10 years, aldose reductase in those with retinopathy (including non-proliferative and proliferative) was significantly higher than in those without, while no difference in the means of the average HbA1c, maximum and minimum blood pressure levels was observed between the two groups. The results indicate that the level of aldose reductase in the erythrocyte of diabetic patients is associated with the presence of retinopathy.