Correlation of DNA damage in type 2 diabetes to glycemic control

Background: Diabetes is associated with excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can damage cellular macromolecules. The aim of the study was to detect oxidative DNA damage in type 2 diabetic patients and to correlate it with glycemic control.Aim of work: to assess the percentage of DNA damage in patients with type 2 diabetes and the relation with glycemic control and lipid profile.Patients and methods: The present work included 28 diabetic patients as well as 25 age and sex matched healthy volunteers served as control. Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was used to assess DNA damage in 28 patients with type 2 diabetes and 25 age and sex matched healthy controls. Moreover, glycemic as well as lipid profiles were also estimated in those subjects.Results: The percent of DNA damage of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was higher in diabetic patients (45.1±9.2) compared to healthy controls (3.70± 0.85) (p<0.001). The percent of DNA damage correlated positively with BMI, fasting blood glucose, HbA1C, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (p<0.001) . However, there was no significant difference in percent of DNA damage between hypertensive patients (36.2 ±4.6) and non hypertensive patients (37.2±4.6). Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between DNA damage and body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein cholesterol.Conclusion: Type 2 diabetic patients have more oxidative DNA damage than normal controls and this damage increase with poor diabetic control, obesity and hyperlipidemia. Thus, DNA damage in the peripheral blood of diabetic patients assessed by comet assay can be applied as a new and non expensive technique for monitoring patients with type-2 diabetes.