A comparative study of serum myeloperoxidase activity in type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy

Inflammatory burden is high in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients. In Diabetic ESRD patients, the balance between pro- and anti-oxidant activities is shifted towards an oxidative stress. Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a bactericidal enzyme plays an active role in induction and evolution of the endothelial dysfunction associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM). However, whether MPO can serve as a marker in diabetic ESRD patients is doubtful. Hence, the present study was undertaken. The Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Serum Creatinine, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and Serum Myeloperoxidase levels were estimated in three different groups with 30 subjects each. The Control group includes healthy individuals, group I constitutes Type 2 diabetes with no nephropathy and group II includes Type 2 diabetes with nephropathy patients. Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) was calculated using Cockcroft Gault formula corrected for the Body Surface Area. Statistical software, namely, SPSS 15.0, Stata 8.0, MedCalc 9.0.1 and Systat 11.0 were used for the analysis of the data and Microsoft word and Excel have been used to generate graphs, tables etc. Reference Ranges for MPO were established in our study. An increase in MPO levels was noticed in Group I, whereas a differential behaviour of MPO levels was noted in group II. Uremic diabetic nephropathy patients with a low MPO level may be at a lesser risk for any cardiac event compared to those uremic patients with high MPO levels. Hence, MPO may be taken as a biomarker to predict coronary events in diabetic ESRD.