Levels of lipid peroxidation product and glycated hemoglobin A1c in the erythrocytes of diabetic patients.

In diabetes, the glycation and subsequent browning (or glycoxidation) reactions are enhanced by elevated glucose concentrations. It is unclear whether or not the diabetic state per se also induces an increase in the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals (OFRs). There is some evidence, however, that glycation itself may induce the formation of OFRs. OFRs could cause oxidative damage to endogenous molecules. We examined the relationship between the levels of lipid peroxidation and the levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c (GHbA1c) in erythrocytes of diabetic and healthy subjects. Lipid peroxidation was assessed in erythrocyte membrane lipids by monitoring peak height ratios of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), one of the products of lipid peroxidation, to linoleic acid (LA) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). CLA is a collective term used to designate a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of LA in which the double bonds are conjugated. The peak height ratio of CLA to LA was used as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation. GHbA1c, an index of glycemic stress, was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. There were significantly increased ratios of CLA to LA in diabetic erythrocytes compared with control erythrocytes. These ratios of CLA to LA were also significantly correlated with GHbA1c values. This suggests that glycation via chronic hyperglycemia links lipid peroxidation in the erythrocytes of both diabetic and healthy subjects.