Serum uric acid level among type-2 diabetes subjects attending in a tertiary hospital of Bangladesh

Introduction: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a heterogeneous disease which is characterized by variable degrees of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion and increased glucose production. Serum uric acid, an end product of purine metabolism, has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and components of the metabolic syndrome in previous epidemiological studies. However, the putative association of serum uric acid levels with type 2 diabetes mellitus is not clear. Therefore, the present study has been undertaken to determine the levels of explore the association of serum uric acid among male and female type 2 diabetic subjects.
Materials and Method: Under an observational analytical design a total of 104 T2DM (M/F, 40/64; age in years, 45±9; M±SD) were recruited. Among laboratory investigations, serum glucose was measured by glucose-oxidase method, lipid profile and serum uric acid by enzymatic colorimetric method.
Results: In male T2DM subjects, mean±SD fasting serum glucose (mmol/l) and 2hr after breakfast serum glucose were 7.99±1.45 and 10.93±2.24 respectively. In female T2DM subjects, mean±SD fasting serum glucose (mmol/l) and 2hr after breakfast serum glucose were 58.44±14.63 and 9.65±4.16 respectively. The 2hr after breakfast serum glucose was significantly higher in male T2DM subjects compared to female counteracts (p=0.026). In male T2DM subjects, mean±SD total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c) levels were 07.57±48.96, 144.30±72.20, 36.71±8.30, 137.80±34.14 and 28.86±14.44 respectively. In female T2DM subjects, these values were 186.21±47.946, 207.81±158.12, 39.43±13.12, 108.31±37.11 and 41.56±31.62 respectively. Among these lipidemic variables serum LDL-c was significantly higher in male T2DM subjects compared to female counterparts (p=0.050). Serum uric acid levels was significantly higher in male T2DM subjects compared to female counteracts (4.38±1.96 vs. 5.73±1.34, p=0.013).
Conclusion: From the above result it can be concluded that elevated level of serum uric acid is common in female T2DM subjects compared to male counterparts. Further studies with large sample size are warranted to explore the causal effects of this elevation. Therefore, uric acid serves as a potential biomarker of the glucose metabolism.