Background:Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. India records the highest number of new leprosy cases in the world. Oxidative stress may play a significant role in leprosy.Aim:The aim of the study was to evaluate oxidative stress in various forms of leprosy and compared to healthy controls.Materials and Methods:Seventy newly diagnosed, untreated leprosy patients were selected as cases and sixty healthy controls. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Student's unpaired t-test and Anova (Analysis of Variance) test were used for analysis of data. P < 0.05 was considered as significant.Results:There was a statistically significant increase in the mean values of serum MDA level, MDA/SOD and a decrease in serum SOD activity in cases when compared to controls and the values were significantly associated with increased duration, bacterial load and multibacillary type in leprosy.Conclusion:Our study suggests that there was oxidative stress in leprosy. This warrants antioxidant supplementation to prevent tissue injury.

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To study the lipid profile in young diabetes mellitus patients and to correlate them with their glycemic status & obesity. MATERIALS & METHODS: 65 young diabetic patients (of age 18-39 years) and 30 healthy controls of same age group who had attended to medicine & endocrinology departments of K.G.H, Visakhapatnam, were included in this study. RESULTS & OBSERVATIONS: Among 65 cases, 15 are Type1 DM & 50 cases are of Type 2 DM. In Type1 DM, 66.6% had poor glycemic status. Dyslipidemia was more in poorly controlled than well controlled (80% vs. 20% p<0.05). In Type 2 DM, 32 had poor glycemic control &18 had good control (64% vs. 36%). In Type2 DM, 13 out of 18 well controlled had dyslipidemia & all the 32 poorly controlled, had dyslipidemia (72%vs100%, p<0.05). In Type 2DM, 64% of patients had high W/H ratio. Dyslipidemia seen more in over weight and obese than non-obese (100% vs. 77.2%, p < 0.05) in Type 2 DM. Over all among 65 cases of DM, 54 had dyslipidemia & out of 30 controls 7 had dyslipidemia. This prevalence of dyslipidemia in diabetics was statistically found to be significant (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: The present study suggests that dyslipidemia was more prevalent in diabetics when compared to non-diabetics. In both Type 1 & Type 2 DM, dyslipidemia was more prevalent in poorly controlled than well controlled patients. Dyslipidemia was more prevalent in obese than non-obese. Glycemic status and obesity are important determinants of dyslipidemia in diabetics. So good glycemic control, treatment of obesity reduces the incidence of dyslipidemia and its associated complications, particularly coronary artery diseases. 1