Cross-sectional correlates of oxidative stress and inflammation with glucose intolerance in prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose level is above the normal but below the diagnostic value of diabetes mellitus. Besides progression to diabetes mellitus, prediabetic subjects are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation and therefore this research was conducted with the aim to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular disease in prediabetic subjects by measuring the markers of oxidative stress and inflammation and their possible correlation with glucose intolerance.

A total of 400 human subjects were recruited for the present cross-sectional study. Of them, 200 were prediabetic subjects and 200 were age and gender-matched control subjects. Blood samples were collected from all participants and analyzed for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

The markers of oxidative stress i.e. 8-OHdG and MDA were found to be significantly increased in prediabetic subjects as compared to control subjects except GSH, which was significantly reduced in prediabetic subjects. Similarly, hs-CRP (a marker of inflammation) was significantly increased in prediabetic subjects compared to controls. On correlation analysis, 8-OHdG, MDA and hs-CRP were significantly and positively correlated with glucose intolerance in prediabetes whereas GSH showed significant negative correlation with glucose intolerance.

In conclusion, markers of oxidative stress and inflammation should be taken into consideration while evaluating the risk for CVD in prediabetes since these markers were well correlated with glucose intolerance in prediabetic subjects.