The association of oxidative stress biomarkers with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, there were controversial outcomes in the literature between the association of oxidative stress biomarkers and T2DM. The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to critically examine the association of oxidative stress biomarkers with T2DM. METHODS: We systematically searched different electronic databases including PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to find the relevant studies up to May 2021. The pooled standard mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to define the variation between the study groups. RESULTS: A total of 22 case‐control studies with 2853 subjects (1667 diabetic patients and 1186 healthy controls) were found to be eligible for this meta‐analysis. The pooled results of meta‐analysis showed a significant difference in the levels malondialdehyde (SMD [95% CI]: 2.27 [1.62, 2.91]), nitric oxide (SMD [95% CI]: 1.40 [0.00, 2.81]), glutathione (SMD [95% CI]: −1.76 [−2.94, −0.59]), and total antioxidant status (SMD [95% CI]: −1.40 [−2.28, −0.51]) between the patient group and healthy subjects, whereas no significant difference was observed in the superoxide dismutase levels (SMD [95% CI]: −1.20 [−2.55, 0.15]) and glutathione peroxidase levels (SMD [95% CI]: 0.07 [−2.80, 2.94]). CONCLUSION: The present analysis suggests that oxidative stress might have a potential role in the pathogenesis of T2DM in humans. However, further studies should be needed to elucidate the possible mechanism and strengthen this evidence.