Lipid Profile, Lipid Per-oxidation and Trace Elements Status in Libyan Males with Type II Diabetes Mellitus

The metabolism of several trace elements is altered in diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study investigates serum levels of lipid profile and lipid per-oxidation as well as levels of Mg, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, Cr, Se, V and Zn, in 72 males with non- insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 21 non-diabetic healthy control subjects using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results showed highly significant increase in serum concentrations of LDL-C, TG and Cholesterol in T2DM patients in comparison with non-diabetic subjects (P<0.001). The levels of Zn, Mg and V in male diabetic patients showed significant decline as compared to controls (P<0.001). Also serum Cr and Co showed a significant decrease between non-diabetic subjects and T2DM patients (P<0.05), whereas Ni, Mn and Se showed no significant differences between the control and T2DM patients. The serum Cu level revealed a substantial increase in T2DM patients compared to non-diabetic individuals (P<0.001). Therefore, deficiencies in trace elements and high level of lipid per-oxidation products appear to be possible additional risk factors in the some pathogenesis of type-2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. In addition, they could be used as markers to evaluate the glycemic control and the lipid status of diabetic patients.