The Impact of Arginase1, Malondialdehyde Levels and the Activity of Glutathione S-Transferase on the Development and Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy in Some Iraqi Patients

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the major cause of blindness due to microvascular damage from high blood glucose and lipid levels. Arginase1 is an enzyme that regulates β-cell activities, insulin resistance, and vascular complications, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress. This study aimesto investigate the role of Arginase1 in Iraqi individuals with obesity, T2DM and DR and investigating the relationship with GST and MDA in the development of inflammation and oxidative stress that causes diabetic complication. This research included 120 participants: 40 obese controls, 40 diabetes Type 2 patients, and 40 diabetic retinopathy patients, aged 30–65, from both sexes. All groups were subjected to tests: measuring FBG, HbA1c, Lipid profile, serum total Arginase1, MDA, GST, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio. The study revealed that diabetic patients had significantly higher Arginase1 levels (113.75 ± 4.12 ng/mL) compared to diabetic retinopathy (85.03 ± 4.90 ng/mL) and control groups (41.80 ± 1.66 ng/mL) at (P ≤ 0.05) diabetes retinopathy patients had significantly higher MDA levels (627.23 ± 22.71 ng/mL) compared to diabetes Type 2 patients (581.67 ± 16.53 ng/mL) and the control group (366.71 ± 13.24 ng/mL). GST activity was substantially higher in diabetic retinopathy patients (16.95 ± 2.69 IU/L) compared to the control group (7.67 ± 0.94 IU/L) and diabetes Type 2 patients (6.47 ± 0.75 IU/L). This research concluded that there is a direct relationship between Arginase1 and oxidative stress. Under the curve for ROC test, Arginase1, MDA, and GST had excellent and good values, but Arginase1 was not an indication for diabetic retinopathy but was an early parameter for Type 2 diabetes, where its levels rise at the beginning of the disease.