How does thiol/disulfide homeostasis change in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus?

Abstract

Aims: An increase in reactive oxygen species leads to formation of covalent bonds between sulfur atoms, thus thiol/disulfide homeostasis shifts towards the disulfide direction and oxidative damage occurs. We aimed to determine thiol/disulfide homeostasis in children with T1DM.

Methods: Thiol/disulfide homeostasis was evaluated in 30 patients with T1DM and 30 age, gender matched healthy controls. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters were measured using a novel automated measurement method and correlation between demographic data and parameters was measured.

Results: There weren't any significant differences in age or gender between the T1DM and control groups. T1DM group, findings were as follows: native thiol: 388.3 ± 76.7 µmol/L, total thiol: 426.2 ± 87 µmol/L, disulfide: 18.9 ± 7 µmol/L, control group findings were as follows: native thiol: 423.1 ± 45.2 µmol/L, total thiol: 455.7 ± 49.9 µmol/L, disulfide: 16.2 ± 5.6 µmol/L. The disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were significantly higher in the T1DM group (p = 0.005 and p = 0.004, respectively), whereas the native thiol level and the native thiol/total thiol ratio were significantly lower in the T1DM group than in the control group (p = 0.036 and p = 0.015, respectively). There wasn't significant correlation between demographic data and thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters.

Discussion: This study shows that dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis in children with T1DM shifts towards the disulfide direction. We think that this shift is caused by oxidative damage in β-cells. Additional research on thiol/disulfide homeostasis in children with T1DM might provide techniques for early detection of oxidative damage in β-cells.

Keywords: Children; Diabetes mellitus; Thiol/disulfide.