Biochemical markers for early senescence of erythrocyte membrane in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is an ice berg of disease resulting due to impairments in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Hyperglycemia caused due to the above defects leads to complications like neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease as a result of stimuli for oxidative stress on cell-membrane. The aim of the study is to establish a relation between the stress induced by oxidants bringing changes with the erythrocyte membrane. The protein content, protein thiols, protein carbonyl levels in relation to control of type 2 DM based on HbA1C level indicates that there is an auto-oxidation of glucose which results in persistent production of thiols and carbonyl leading to protein damage, modification due to amino acid residues, fragmentation of amino acid stress and raised proteolytic susceptibility. Protein thiols and carbonyl are the results of oxidation of amino acid which is non-specific or by specific amino acid oxidation. A case control comparative study was done with type 2 DM and normal control at BMCH & RC, Chitradurga. The maximum number were of the age group of 41-45 i.e. 32%. The mean FBS levels among cases and controls 197.50 mg/dl and 93.48 mg/dl respectively. There was significant difference between levels of protein content (4.56±0.19), protein carbonyl (1.20±0.08) and protein thiol levels (1.42±0.10) among diabetics in comparison to protein content (5.40±0.31), protein carbonyl (0.90±0.06), and protein thiols (2.12±0.12) in controls. It was found that there was significant increase of protein carbonyl, decrease protein content and decrease in protein thiols in diabetic patients.