Gender differences in the plasma lipid profile and cellular lipid peroxidation intensity in diabetic patients with distal symmetrical polyneuropathy

Abstract

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DN) is the most frequent neurological complication in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. This study examines dyslipidemia and levels of lipid peroxidation in the plasma and erythrocytes of patients with type 2 DM in relation to the presence or absence of DN, and analyzes the possible impact of gender in the course of DN. There were no statistically significant differences between genders in the clinical or electrophysiological findings of DN (p > 0.05). The lipid parameters approached higher values in all DM patients in comparison to the control subjects (p < 0.05). No significant differences were detected between lipid values in DM with DN and without DN (p > 0.05). The obtained TBARS values in plasma and erythrocytes were higher in DM patients than in the control subjects. TBARS values in all study patients with DN (women and men) approached higher values than in the patients without DN (p > 0.05), but the only significant difference was found in the erythrocytes in women with DN compared to those without DN (p < 0.05). Based upon the data presented here, the lipid peroxidation in the cell and disturbed lipid profile that we observed in patients with type 2 DM and DN are more pronounced in women than in men. This suggests that women have a relatively higher risk for DN than men.