Shortened Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time and Increased Superoxide Dismutase Levels Are Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: To determine differences in levels of coagulation and superoxide dismutase in normal controls and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with different stages of glucose control.

METHODS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were divided into two groups according to their fasting blood glucose (GM1 and GM2) and HbA1c levels (BM1 and BM2). Blood clotting times and levels of serum superoxide dismutase were compared among the three groups. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to evaluate predictors and determine their sensitivities and specificities. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed on the type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using standard methods to evaluate the association of serum levels of superoxide dismutase and coagulation parameters with certain disease risk factors. A multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was also performed.

RESULTS: There is a significant difference in levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) between normal controls and type 2 diabetes patients with varying glucose tolerance statuses ( P <0.001). The difference between GM1 and GM2 with respect to APTT was also statistically significant ( P =0.048). The area under the ROC for APTT and SOD was 0.705 and 0.707, respectively. An inverse and highly significant correlation was found between APTT and fasting plasma glucose (r =-0.177, P =0.024), and the serum level of SOD was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.309, P <0.001), D-Dimer (r=-0.253, P =0.001) and APTT (r=-0.2, P =0.007).

CONCLUSIONS: Shorter APTT and increased SOD levels might be useful hemostatic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.