Antioxidant status of type 2 diabetic patients in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

CONTEXT Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications. AIMS This study was conducted to determine and compare total antioxidant status (TAS), vitamin C and E levels in T2DM patients and healthy control subjects. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Fifty-five previously diagnosed DM patients aged between 34 years and 70 years and 50 control subjects aged between 35 years and 69 years were consecutively recruited into this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood pressure (mmHg), body mass index (kg/m 2 ), concentrations of plasma glucose (mmol/l), lipid profile (mmol/l), TAS (mmol/l), vitamins C (μmol/l), and E (μmol/l) were determined in all participants. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.0 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS The mean plasma TAS (1.18 ± 0.27 mmol/l), vitamin C (26.59 ± 7.39 μmol/L) and vitamin E (15.33 ± 4.05 μmol/l) of T2DM patients were significantly lower (P=0.0001 for all) than those of controls (1.58 ± 0.28 mmol/l, 43.56 ± 6.86 μmol/l, 31.22 ± 6.20 μmol/l respectively). TAS had a positive correlation with vitamin E (r=0.588; P=0.013) but no correlation with vitamin C (r=-0.387; P=0.139) among diabetics. CONCLUSIONS TAS, vitamin C and E levels are reduced in T2DM patients compared with those of controls.