Lipid profile and antioxidant status in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with the development of micro- and macro-vascular complication generally related to duration of disease, poor glycemic control and lipid abnormalities. Chronic hyper-glycemia increases production of free radical intermediates which in turn augments oxidative stress. The oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of diabetic complications. In the present study we evaluated the lipid profile, the parameters related to oxidative stress, and the relationships ofthese parameters with metabolic control of disease in children and adolescents with T1DM. A total of 58 T1DM patients(11.5±3.49 yr) were studied, matched for age and sex with 36 healthy subjects (9.60±3.21 yr). In all children serum concentration of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), homocysteine, fibrinogen, MDA, vitamin E (Vit. E), β-carotene, lycopene, retinol, vitamin C reduced(Vit. C-Red) and oxidized (Vit. C-Ox) were measured. There were no significant different in the levels of TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C between T1DM patients and controls. Serum concentrations of TG in T1DM subjects were significantly lower than in control ones.No significant difference of total antioxidant status (Vit. E, β-carotene, lycopene, retinol, Vit. C-Red) was demonstrated between T1DM and control groups. Serum levels of Vit. C-Ox were significant higher in patients with T1DM. Moreover,prepubertal T1DM subjects showed higher MDA serum concentrations than controls (p<0.01). In our T1DM patients the satisfactory glycemic control was coupled with normal lipid profile and normal antioxidant levels. These data confirm that an optimal dietary intervention is able to contrast oxidative processes, even if a more attention to diet composition is needed in some T1DM children and adolescentS.