This study is carried out on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus to assess the lipid profile, malondialdehyde and glutathione. Our study is concerned with 51 (Iraqi Arab females) patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with 31 control subjects unified in age, sex and ethnic background. Lipid profile is measured by using commercially available kits, while the serum MDA and glutathione levels are measured by means of sandwich ELISA test using commercially available kits. Serum MDA is significantly higher (P<0.001) while glutathione is significantly lower (P<0.001) in type 2 diabetic patients when compared to the control. The normal levels of MDA (3.82 ± 0.77n mol/ml) and GSH (2.23 ± 0.54 µg/ml) recorded for the non-diabetic females are significantly (p<0.001) increased and depleted in the diabetic patients who record (6.78 ± 1.21 n mol/ml) and (1.29 ± 0.23 µg/ml) for MDA, GSH respectively. Parameters of lipid profile were significantly increase (P<0.001), while HDL cholesterol significantly decrease (P<0.001) in patients compared to the control group. The receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis of the forthcoming variations reveale the descending order of serum MDA (0.999), GSH (0.984), HDL (0.817), LDL (0.796), T.C (0.974), TG (0.727) & serum VLDL (0.722) showing a significant variation. In conclusion, the study shows low levels of GSH and high levels of MDA in diabetic patients indicating to an increased oxidative stress which is considered as the main cause to type 2 diabetes mellitus especially obese ones.
