Status of iron, oxidant and antioxidants in chronic type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Diabetes mellitus is a common health problem of the world. Iron may be a part of the cause of the disease and its complications. Iron is a trace element which produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) participating through Fenton reaction and that ROS may be a cause to produce oxidative stress and further diabetic complications. The study aims to access the iron and its effect in producing oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and percentage transferrin saturation are calculated as the index of iron. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is estimated as index of oxidant and vitamin C, vitamin E are measured as index of antioxidants. This is a case control study conducted in the department of Biochemistry in collaboration with department of Medicine at B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. 52 chronic type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 52 age and sex matched normal healthy controls were included in the study. Plasma iron, TIBC, percentage transferrin saturation were found (89.14±30.50 μg/dL), (266.78±48.80 μg/dL), (36.61±14.31%) in diabetic cases as compared to (83.98±24.19 μg/dL), (279.08±40.23 μg/dL), (31.05±10.98%) of healthy controls. A significant increase in MDA level (6.35±1.52 nmol/ml in cases and 4.18±1.12 nmol/ml in controls, p<0.001) and significant decrease in vitamin C (0.85±0.19 mg/dL in cases and 1.28±0.21 mg/dL in controls, p<0.001) and vitamin E (0.85±0.25 mg/dL in cases and 1.34±0.38 mg/dL in controls, p<0.001) were observed.