Comparison of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Blood with Oxidant Antioxidant Imbalance in the Aqueous Humor of Type 2 Diabetic Cataract Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rawalpindi

Abstract

Objective: To compare the total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index in the aqueous humor of type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic cataract patients and determine their correlation with the glycemic control and serum Malondialdehyde levels.
Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Physiology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital (PEMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from 1^st June 2022 to 31^st January 2023.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study recruited 120 subjects, who were categorized into two equal groups. Aqueous humor was collected before cataract surgery to measure the total oxidant status and the total antioxidant capacity by spectrophotometry. Fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and malondialdehyde levels were measured in the blood. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 was used to analyze the results. A P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and malondialdehyde levels were significantly raised in the diabetic group compared to the non-diabetic group. Similarly, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index were significantly increased in the aqueous humor of diabetic patients, while the total antioxidant capacity was reduced compared to non-diabetics. Fasting blood glucose and malondialdehyde levels were positively correlated with total oxidant status and oxidative stress index, but negatively correlated with the total antioxidant capacity in aqueous humor.
Conclusion: Increased oxidative stress in the blood of type 2 diabetic patients leads to an increase in the total oxidant status and a decrease in the total antioxidant capacity in the AH. Moreover, poor glycemic control also adversely contributes to this imbalance, which is significantly more compared to the otherwise healthy individuals having cataract. Therefore, an imbalance of the total oxidant status and the total antioxidant capacity in the aqueous humor is suggested to play a significant role in the development of cataract in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

How to cite this: Farooq A, Aleem S. Comparison of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Blood with Oxidant Antioxidant Imbalance in the
Aqueous Humor of Type 2 Diabetic Cataract Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rawalpindi. Life and Science. 2026; 7(2): 225-230. doi:
http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.814