RESUMEN
Fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, malonyldialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase levels of 50 type I and 50 type II diabetic patients and 50 normal healthy age and sex matched nondiabetic subjects were determined. Erythrocytes of diabetic subjects [both type I and type II] were found to have three fold higher levels of TBA reactive malonyldialdehyde. The erythrocyte antiperoxidative enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and catalase increased significantly [p<0.001], while superoxide dismutase activity lowered significantly in the diabetic patients as compared with sex and age matched non diabetic subjects. This shows that, in diabetes, the peroxidation is increased while the activities of glutathione peroxidase and cata1ase are increased with a significant decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase