[The results of a comparative study of the lipid peroxidation processes and of the malondialdehyde level of the blood cells in patients with diabetic angiopathies and during insulin therapy].

Lipid peroxidation was studied by the levels of malonic dialdehyde (MDA) in the platelets and red cells of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 as to relationships to vascular complications and insulin therapy. MDA appeared elevated both in red cells and platelets of DM patients, but was high in red cells only in DM patients with retinopathy. Insulin therapy contributed to gradual recovery of MDA levels both in platelets and red cells of all the DM patients except those with angiopathy who retained high red cell MDA on insulin treatment week 12. This suggests the necessity of adjuvant antioxidants in insulin treatment given to DM patients with vascular complications to arrest progression of angiopathy.