Investigation of oxidative and antioxidative status in patients with diabetic cataracts

Abstract

To investigate the oxidative and antioxidative status in diabetic patients with cataracts and nondiabetic patients with cataracts as compared to controls. Materials and methods: There were 149 subjects included in the present study. Blood was collected from type 2 diabetic patients suffering from cataracts (diabetic cataract; n = 42), senile nondiabetic patients suffering from cataracts (nondiabetic cataracts; n = 60), and healthy subjects of a control group (n = 47). Serum levels of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), total thiol levels (TTLs), and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) were investigated in the samples. Results: TTLs were significantly reduced in diabetic cataract patients (444.8 µmol/L) compared with both nondiabetic cataract patients (525.1 µmol/L) and the control group (569.9 µmol/L). Plasma PON1 levels also were significantly reduced in diabetic cataract patients (241.9 U/L) relative to the control group (178.3 U/L). There were no statistically significant differences between TAS and TOS levels among groups. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates a significant reduction in serum TTLs and serum PON1 activities in diabetic cataract patients compared with controls. These findings represent a failure in the antioxidant system, which may be related to the cataractogenic process.