The role of VCAM-1 in diabetic retinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) plays a regulatory role in inflammatory diseases. However, the exact role of VCAM-1 in diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains unclear, and there is a lack of meta-analyses. METHODS The role of VCAM-1 in DR was screened by database searching. A random effects model was used, and the estimated mean difference was evaluated. RESULTS Twenty articles were included. The level of VCAM-1 increased significantly in the DR group compared with the control group (SMD: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.34-1.01, P < 0.0001). VCAM-1 levels correlated with sample size and DR type, method and severity based on subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION A high level of VCAM-1 is present in DR patients and is related to the severity of DR. Therefore, VCAM-1 is a potential detection biomarker for DR.