Does Serum Ferritin Concentration Influence Antioxidant Vitamin C in Type 2 Diabetes?

Background: Iron a known pro oxidant was found to have a link between ferritin and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, but the mechanism is still not clear. The role of Iron in the electron transport chain has been postulated to be a major pathway of tissue damage by generating excess amount of free radicals.Vitamin C is an important co-factor for iron metabolism whether the serum ferritin level has any role in the vitamin C influenced diabetes or ferritin influenced diabetes or both is still not well established.

Aim and objectives: The present study is aimed to assess the link between serum ferritin and type 2 diabetes in perspective of vitamin Camong the population of North Karnataka

Method: A study was conducted on known type 2 diabetes patients (n=28) and their age matched control group (n=28). Serum ferritin was estimated by ELISA technique and serum vitamin C level was assessed by Roe and Kuether method in both the groups. Basal parameters and lipid profile were measured and analyzed by standard method in both the groups.

Result: The serum ferritin level was found to be significantly higher (p= 0.0012) in the diabetics as compared to control group by 61%. Whereas the serum vitamin C level was lower in diabetics by 14.1% in comparison to controls,although the values were not statistically significant. No significant correlations were found among serum ferritin with vitamin C,fasting blood glucose with serum ferritin and fasting blood glucose with serum vitamin C in diabetics or in control subjects.

Conclusion: Significantlyincreased serum ferritin in type 2 diabetes in our study maybe due to pathophysiological changes in liver, which maybe independent of antioxidant vitamin C induced iron metabolism.