Antioxidant Status and Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)

The aim of this study was to examine changes in primary and secondary antioxidant defense system in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). A total of 59 children (age range: 3 months-15 years) living in Cairo, Egypt were recruited. Twenty-four of these subjects had type-I diabetes (IDDM); they were admitted at the Abo-Elrish Hospital, Cairo. Thirty-five healthy well-nourished children were recruited from the local community, and used as controls. The antioxidant status of the study population was determined by measuring copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD) in red blood cells, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in whole blood, and total antioxidant status (TAS) as well as ceruloplasmin and albumin in plasma. In addition, the plasma levels of trace elements involving antioxidant activities, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and iron (Fe) were determined, along with a select group of vitamins. The latter included ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and retinol. Plasma levels Se, Zn, and Cu were significantly higher in diabetic patients than in control subjects, while the mean plasma levels of albumin, ceruloplasmin, vitamin E, and vitamin C as well as Cu-Zn SOD activity in red blood cells, were significantly lower in IDDM patients than in their non-diabetic counterparts. No significant differences in plasma concentrations of TAS, vitamin A, retinol binding protein (RBP), and Fe as well as whole blood GPX activity were observed between the diabetic patients and control subjects. The plasma glucose level was inversely correlated with SOD and GPX. Overall, children with IDDM and persistent hyperglycemia are characterized by a decreased antioxidant defense system compared with health controls.