Correlation of Lipid Peroxidation with Glycated Haemoglobin Levels in Diabetes Mellitus

Reactive oxygen species are crucial to normal biological processes; they are potentially dangerous and are commonly referred to as prooxidants. The reactive oxygen intermediates can cause direct cellular injury by including lipid and protein peroxidation and damage to nucleic acid. The polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the cells are vulnerable to free radicals causing lipid peroxidation. Determination of Malondialdehyde (MDA) by using thiobarbituric acid is used as an index of the extent of lipid peroxidation. This study was done to know if lipid peroxidation correlated with the glycated haemoglobin levels. Diabetic status was assessed by estimating fasting blood sugar and glycated haemoglobin level while oxidant stress was evaluated by estimating erythrocyte MDA levels. The lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte lysates was significantly increased in diabetic individuals compared to controls (p