ABSTRACT
Patients with type II diabetes mellitus are more prone to diabetic complications and oxygen free radicals are known to contribute to the development of complications but there are conflicting reports regarding antioxidant status in type II diabetic patients. The current cross sectional study was designed to evaluate the serum total antioxidant status (TAS) in type II diabetic patients and age matched control subjects in ABUTH Shika, Zaria. Also to assess their correlation with clinical parameters and biochemical analytes. A total of 281 subjects were recruited for the study. These comprised of 181 type II diabetic patients and 100 controls. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured using glucose oxidase method, glycated haemoglobin (GHbA1c) using micro column method, TAS using Mosmann method while vitamins C and E using Moeslinger and Dahot methods respectively. The reference values of TAS, vitamins C and E are 15.7 - 63.1 mmol/L, 0.2 - 7.0 mg/ml and 3.7- 119.3 g/L respectively. The mean value of TAS (33.3 � 0.5 mmol/L) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in diabetic patients than in control subjects (39.4 � 0.8 mmol/L). While on the other hand the mean values of FBG and GHbA1c in diabetic patients (7.0 � 0.3 and 8.2 � 0.2) were significantly higher (p< 0.05) than corresponding values in controls (4.1 � 0.8 and 5.0 �0.1) respectively. The mean values of TAS were however similar (p > 0.05) among diabetic patients with good and poor glucose control (33.3 � 0.7 mmol/L versus 32.2 � 0.7 mmol/L). Also the mean values of TAS were similar (p > 0.05) among diabetic patients with good and poor GHbA1c control ( 33.4 � 0.6 mmol/L versus 33.1 � 0.6 mmol/L). Similarly, the mean values of TAS in diabetic patients with complications and those without complications (32.8 � 0.6 mmol/Lversus 34.4 � 1.1 mmol/L) were not significantly different(p > 0.05). The mean value of vitamin E was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in patients with good glucose control (44.6 �3.0 g/L) and glycated haemoglobin control (44.5 � 2.7 g/L) than in those with poor glucose control (41.8 �2.7 g/L) and glycated haemoglobin control (41.7� 2.8 g/L). Furthermore, the mean level of vitamin E in patients without complications (49.5 �7.0 g/L) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in those with complications (42.5�2.1 g/L). In diabetic patients, there were positive and significant correlations between TAS and age (r=0.173, p<0.05) as well as duration of diabetes mellitus (r=0.240, p<0.05). These results suggest that type II diabetic patients of the study area have low serum level of TAS.