The Role of ADAM9 and MMP9 in Diabetic Retinopathy: Insights from Ocular Parameters

The focus in this study was to investigate the proteolytic functions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) proteins in the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to evaluate their potential as therapeutic targets for eye diseases. This study involved three groups: non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients (NPDR) (n = 27), proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients (PDR) (n = 32), and a control group of 30 healthy individuals. Serum levels of ADAM9 and MMP9 were measured across these groups for comparative analysis. Serum ADAM9 levels were significantly lower in the NPDR and PDR groups than in the control group (<i>p</i> = 0.031, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Although ADAM9 levels were lower in the PDR group than in the NPDR group, this difference was not significant (<i>p</i> = 0.142). Serum MMP9 levels in the PDR group were significantly lower than those in both the control and NPDR groups (<i>p</i> = 0.039, <i>p</i> = 0.013). The findings of this study indicate that ADAM9, MMP9, and left-eye ocular parameters may have potential value in the assessment of DR. The notable variation in the MMP9 marker in the proliferative stage, as opposed to its stability in the non-proliferative stage, suggests a distinct role in retinopathy staging. This underscores the specific importance of MMP9 in the proliferative stage.