Survivin mRNA expression and its serum level are elevated in patients with diabetic retinopathy compared to those without, show strong positive correlation with HbA1c, and may have a marked role in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy.
Serum survivin levels were significantly increased in diabetic retinopathy patients compared to diabetic patients without retinopathy.
Serum survivin demonstrated strong diagnostic performance for diabetic retinopathy with an AUC of 0.985.
Survivin mRNA expression showed good diagnostic performance for diabetic retinopathy with an AUC of 0.907.
Serum survivin level correlated significantly and positively with HbA1c in diabetic patients.
Survivin mRNA expression correlated significantly and positively with HbA1c in diabetic patients.
The study was conducted with a total of 90 participants divided into three equal groups of 30.
This research suggests that a protein called survivin — which normally helps prevent cell death and promotes the growth of new blood vessels — may serve as a useful blood marker for detecting diabetic retinopathy (DR), a serious eye complication of diabetes that can lead to vision loss. The study measured survivin both as a protein in the blood (serum level) and at the genetic activity level (mRNA expression) in 90 people: 30 with DR, 30 diabetic patients without eye complications, and 30 healthy individuals. Both measures were significantly higher in the DR group, and both were strongly linked to HbA1c, a standard measure of long-term blood sugar control. The blood protein measurement performed particularly well as a diagnostic tool — at a cutoff of more than 360 pg/mL, it correctly identified DR in nearly 97% of cases (sensitivity) and correctly ruled it out in over 93% of cases (specificity), with an AUC of 0.985 out of a perfect score of 1.0. The mRNA expression test also performed well, with an AUC of 0.907, sensitivity of about 87%, and specificity of about 83%. These results suggest survivin could potentially help doctors identify which diabetic patients are developing retinopathy. This research suggests that survivin plays a biological role in diabetic eye disease, likely by preventing the normal death of blood vessel cells and encouraging abnormal new blood vessel growth in the retina. The strong correlation between survivin levels and HbA1c further implies that poor blood sugar control may drive elevated survivin, linking glycemic management to the biological processes behind retinopathy. If validated in larger studies, survivin measurement could potentially become a supplementary blood-based screening tool for diabetic retinopathy alongside traditional eye examinations.
Abdelhady S, Greash M, Karrar M, Moustafa H, AbdelHamid D, Salama M. (2026). Assessment of survivin mRNA expression level and its serum level in patients with diabetic retinopathy.. The Egyptian journal of immunology. https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.330411