Relation Between Oxidative Stress and Hematologic Abnormalities in Children With Type 1 Diabetes

Recently, numerous studies have renewed attention to the hematologic profile in the early identification of diabetic inflammation and complications. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between hematologic indices abnormalities and oxidative stress among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

This study included 70 children diagnosed with T1DM and 30 healthy control subjects. The children with T1DM were divided into 2 groups according to the duration of diabetes: children with newly diagnosed T1DM and children with established T1DM.

Erythrocyte count and platelet count were decreased significantly in children with established T1DM, whereas leukocyte count and neutrophil count were increased significantly in children with newly diagnosed T1DM compared with healthy control subjects. Moreover, hemoglobin and hematocrit values revealed a significant depletion in both T1DM groups; however, values of red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width were significantly elevated in both T1DM groups compared with healthy control subjects. Also, microalbuminuria levels showed a significant increase in children with established T1DM, whereas lipid peroxidation biomarker (malondialdehyde) and nitric oxide levels were elevated markedly in both T1DM groups compared with the healthy group.

The data demonstrated that the hematologic profile showed noticeable alterations in children with T1DM, and the inflammation and oxidative stress markers were contributed to the hematologic abnormalities. The results revealed that some hematologic indices can be used in the early detection of children with T1DM at risk for diabetic complications.