Purpose: This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of oxidative stress - antioxidant balance disruption and Hepatocyte Growth Factor activity on the progression of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: 96 diabetic patients of different stages of the disease were evaluated in 3 groups: patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, each group consisting of 32. Fasting blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, glutathione which is an enzyme substrate that prevents oxidation, plasma malonedialdehyde and serum hepatocyte growth factor levels were measured. Results: Average levels of malonedialdehyde and hepatocyte growth factor were found to be significantly higher in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy group than the nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and the control groups (p0.05). Reduced glutathione levels were significantly higher in the nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy group, when compared with the proliferative diabetic retinopathy and the control groups (p0.05). Positive correlation was found between hepatocyte growth factor and malonedialdehyde, HbA1c, and the duration of diabetes. Besides, malonedialdehyde was found to be correlated with fasting blood glucose. Conclusion: High hepatocyte growth factor levels are the indicator of oxidative stress in diabetic retinopathy and this is very closely related with proliferation
