Evaluation of Plasma Antioxidant Enzymes in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Sokoto, Nigeria

Abstract

Several studies have reported the presence of oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus as a result of increased generation of reactive oxygen species and diminished antioxidant defense. The current study evaluated the plasma activities of three antioxidant enzymes- catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in type 2 diabetic patients and non-diabetic control subjects. A total of 266 subjects were recruited for the cross-sectional study, 165 type 2 diabetic patients and 101 non-diabetic controls from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Maryam Abacha Women and Children Hospital, and Specialist Hospital, Sokoto. All the three antioxidant enzyme activities were assayed in plasma using colorimetric enzymatic techniques. The mean activities of CAT, GPX and SOD were significantly lower (p< 0.05, < 0.001 and <0.001 respectively in diabetic patients when compared to non-diabetic controls respectively). These findings confirm that diabetic patients have low activities of the antioxidant enzymes compared to the non-diabetic controls. Periodic assay of the activities of these enzymes in diabetic patients as adjunct biochemical analytes in monitoring is suggested.