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World J Diabetes. May 15, 2026; 17(5): 116585
Published online May 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v17.i5.116585
Published online May 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v17.i5.116585
ICAM-1 enigma in diabetic retinopathy: How population genetics challenges a universal pathogenesis model
Zhen-Yu Liu, Zhi-Ran Yue, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Li-Xia Song, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
Si-Yan Huo, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
Fang-Jun Xu, Department of Ultrasound, The People's Hospital of Yiyang, Yiyang 413001, Hunan Province, China
Co-first authors: Zhen-Yu Liu and Li-Xia Song.
Author contributions: Liu ZY and Song LX contributed equally to this study as co-first authors; Liu ZY and Xu FJ were responsible for conceptualization, manuscript review and editing, and supervision; all authors were responsible for original draft preparation.
AI contribution statement: Grammarly is used for sentence construction with different vocabulary. ChatGPT 5.2 is used to check for grammatical issues in the manuscript after all authors have confirmed it.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Fang-Jun Xu, MD, Department of Ultrasound, The People's Hospital of Yiyang, No. 232 Wuyi West Road, Yiyang 413001, Hunan Province, China.
Received: November 21, 2025
Revised: January 8, 2026
Accepted: January 22, 2026
Published online: May 15, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 20.5 Hours
Revised: January 8, 2026
Accepted: January 22, 2026
Published online: May 15, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 20.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: A study demonstrated that the association between ICAM-1 polymorphisms and diabetic retinopathy is not universal but varies significantly across ethnic groups. This finding highlights the critical importance of population genetics in refining pathogenesis models and moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to complex microvascular diseases.