Evaluation of Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis in Pediatric Patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Aims and objective: This study aimed to investigate the value of Thiol/Disulfide homeostasis in pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis patients suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods: This study featured children who were diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis and who were consecutively admitted to pediatric intensive care within one year of their diagnosis. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis was evaluated in 45 pediatric patients suffering from DKA, as well as 45 healthy controls of parallel gender and age. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters were measured using a novel automated measurement method and the correlation between demographic data and parameters was measured.

Results: Pediatric patients were found to have low native thiols, total thiols and disulfide levels with type 1 diabetes after DKA (331.82±106.40, 362.71±113.31, 17.02±5.33 μmol/L, respectively) as compared to the control group (445.08±24.41, 481.21± 28.47, 18.06±5.12 μmol/L, respectively).

Conclusion: Thiol/disulfide homeostasis was distorted in pediatric patients with DKA. Furthermore, it was found that they are not likely to return to normal, immediately after treatment.