Assessment of Oxidative Stress and Homocysteine Level in Patients with and without Type 2 Diabetic Retinopathy

Background: Oxidative stress and mild hyperhomocysteinemia are independent risk factors of vascular diseases and present in type 2 diabetes. Our aim in this study is to investigate role of hyperhomocysteinemia, oxidative stress and association of homocysteine level with oxidative stress in the development of diabetic retinopathy.

Materials and Methods: Forty type 2 diabetic patients with retinopathy and sixty without retinopathy subjects were included to the study. Plasma homocysteine level, prooxidant-antioxidant balance and HbA1c concentration was measured in two groups, also we tested 50 healthy volunteers as control.

Results: HbA1c concentration in patients is significantly higher than healthy subject and positive correlation was found between HbA1c and retinopathy in diabetes patients. Plasma levels of homocysteine are significantly higher in diabetic patients compared to healthy individuals. However, there is no significant differentiate in homocysteine plasma levels in patients with and without retinopathy. Oxidative stress is higher in diabetic patient compared to healthy subjects; and also there is significant association between retinopathy and oxidative stress. Our data don’t show any significant correlation between HbA1c and homocysteine levels and homocysteine level with oxidative stress, however there is positive correlation between oxidative stress and HbA1c concentration.

Conclusions: Our findings confirm elevation of homocysteine in diabetic patients; however there isn’t significant correlation between homocysteine levels and presence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients. In agreement with previous data oxidative stress significantly associated with development of retinopathy.