No difference in serum sialic acid in Type 2 diabetic patients from the United Arab Emirates with and without diabetic retinopathy

Serum total sialic acid (TSA) has recently been shown to be related to diabetic retinopathy. However, there is some controversy as this may be true in European Type 2 diabetic patients but not South Asians. There are few data looking at serum TSA expression in Arab Type 2 diabetic patients from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and we wished to test the hypothesis that there may be different serum TSA expression in Arab Type 2 diabetic patients as regard to retinopathy. Sixty-five Type 2 diabetic patients from the UAE were studied (19 male and 46 female, age 57.5±9.8 (45–74) years, duration of diabetes 9.4±5.7 (0–22) years. The serum TSA in 13 patients with diabetic retinopathy was 757±130 mg/l and 782±163 mg/l in those without retinopathy (NS). There was no significant correlation between serum TSA and patient age, serum fructosamine, diabetes duration, or blood pressure. As in South Asians serum TSA does not appear to be elevated in Type 2 diabetic patients from the United Arab Emirates with diabetic retinopathy.