Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Toxics, cilt.13, sa.11, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
This study investigates the potential role of microplastics in the development of diabetes mellitus and assesses their presence in individuals undergoing insulin therapy. A total of 100 participants were included: 50 insulin-dependent diabetic patients and 50 healthy controls. The diabetic group was divided into two subgroups based on their insulin regimen: those receiving one daily injection of basal insulin and those receiving four injections of basal and short-acting insulin. Blood samples were analysed for microplastic content using chromatographic methods (LC/GC-MSMS and LCTOF MS). The findings revealed that diabetic patients had significantly higher serum microplastic levels (3.14 ± 1.30 µg/mL) than healthy individuals (1.50 ± 0.89 µg/mL, p < 0.05). Within the diabetic group, patients receiving four injections had a longer disease duration (15.14 ± 3.64 years) than those receiving one injection (10.56 ± 5.21 years), with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). However, microplastic levels did not differ significantly based on injection frequency. A strong positive correlation was observed between microplastic levels and both HbA1c (%) and fasting glucose levels (p = 0.001). These results imply that microplastics may act as endocrine disruptors that contribute to the development of diabetes, rather than being introduced through insulin treatment itself.