European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EVALUATION OF CALCIUM, PHOSPHATE, IRON AND FERRITIN, IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS SUBJECTS ATTENDING FEDERAL TEACHING HOSPITAL OWERRI, IMO STATE

Deborah Chinonso Orji, D. C. Nwosu. U. C. Edward, Chidiebere Sandra Okoroigwe, Chioma Ukaga, Nwamaka Egbeonu and Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu*

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder caused by either a lack of insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or both. This study was aimed at the evaluation of serum levels of calcium, phosphate, iron, ferritin, and enzymatic antioxidants activities in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri. The cross-sectional study population comprised 50 participants within the age range of 30 and 65years, with age matched control of 50 apparently healthy individuals. The diabetic subjects were further divided into 25 males and 25 females. The samples were centrifuged at 3,000rmp for 5 minutes after clotting to separate and obtain the serum. The sera was obtained using a pasteur pipette and put into appropriate container, and stored at -20⁰C prior to use. Test with probability of p<0.05 was statistically significant. The result showed there was a significantly higher level of iron and ferritin (p=0.004 and p=0.000, respectively) in diabetes mellitus subjects (25.29±5.56 μmol/L and 200.56±60.68 ng/mL, respectively) compared to the control (21.90±5.88 μmol/L and 83.53±43.27 ng/mL, respectively).There was no significant difference in the mean values of calcium and phosphate (p=0.429 and p=0.530, respectively) in diabetes mellitus subjects (2.42±0.11 mmol/L and 1.20±0.14 mmol/L, respectively) compared to the control (2.43±0.11 mmol/L and 1.22±0.14 mmol/L, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the mean values of calcium, phosphate, iron and ferritin (p=0.170, p=0.697, p=0.899 and p=0.979 respectively) between male (2.39±0.10 mmol/L, 1.21±0.15 mmol/L, 25.39±5.64 μmol/L, 200.79±59.42 ng/mL respectively) and female (2.45±0.11 mmol/L, 1.19±0.14 mmol/L, 25.19±5.60 μmol/L, 200.33±63.15 ng/mL respectively) diabetes mellitus subjects. In conclusion, the mean serum calcium and phosphate phosphate were not altered between the diabetic subjects and controls. The mean serum of Ferritin and iron were significantly higher than the control while the serum levels of the enzymatic antioxidants were significantly lower than the controls.

Keywords: Calcium, Phosphate, Iron and Ferritin, in type 2 diabetes mellitus.