Trace Minerals And Oxidative Stress In Diabetic Retinopathy.

There is accumulating evidence showing relationship between trace elements and Diabetes mellitus (DM). This study evaluated the role of magnesium, Zinc and other indices of peroxidative status ie MDA, Vitamin C and Vitamin E in pathogenesis of Retinopathy in type 2 diabetes. Seventy two type 2 diabetes cases were enrolled in the study, of which 42 were with retinopathy and 30 without. Patients with nephropathy were excluded. Forty age- and sexmatched subjects were served as health controls. The results showed that the mean values of Mg and Zn were significantly lower reduced in diabetes more so in diabetic retinopathy cases as compared to control subjects (p<0.05). Lipid peroxidation marker MDA was a significantly higher in both the diabetes groups whereas serum Vitamin C and vitamin E levels were significantly low (p<0.05) as compared to controls. Our correlation study revealed that MDA was negatively associated with serum Mg (r=-0.73, p<0.01) as well as serum Zn (r= -0.82, p<0.01), pointing towards the role of these trace elements in retarding the oxidative process prevailing in diabetic retinopathy.

Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Leprosy.

Serum Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) acts as marker of cellular immunity and its activity is found to be altered in various diseases in which there is a cell mediated immune response (CMI) including leprosy. The role of zinc is well established in the development and maintainence of immunocompetence and its supplementation activates the immune response in particular Tlymphocytes and monocytes in several ways. The aim of the study was planned to evaluate the effect of nutritional zinc supplementation on cell mediated immune response by investigating the pre and post intervention serum ADA levels after oral zinc sulphate supplementation in leprosy patients. A total of 49 cases, 30 Tuberculoid Leprosy (TT) and 19 Lepromatous Leprosy (LL) patients, within the age group of 25-60 years were enrolled in the study along with 30 age matched healthy controls. Serum ADA was estimated in all the subjects before and after (2 months and 4 months) oral zinc supplementation. Pre intervention serum ADA level was observed to be significantly increased in both the TT and LL (p<0.001) groups as compared to controls, revealing raised immunological activity in the patients. After oral zinc sulphate supplementation serum ADA re-evaluation was done in 38 cases. A highly significant (p < 0.001 ) rise in ADA level was registered in the post intervention period (4 months supplementation) in TT cases with a moderately significant (p< 0.05) increase in LL cases, indicating the ability of oral zinc therapy to affectively alter the cell mediated immune response in leprosy.