The present study aimed to look for the differences in the oxidative stress status in sera and saliva samples of type 2 diabetic Iraqi patients with and without proliferative diabetic retinopathy. As well as to look for the possibility whether this status can be measured in saliva as an alternative sample to that of serum, hence to achieve that total oxidant status, total antioxidant status and oxidative stress index were measured in both sera and saliva samples of two groups of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the healthy individuals. Upon the comparison between patients without proliferative diabetic retinopathy and the control sample the results showed presence of a significant increase (p < 0.05) of total oxidant status and oxidative stress index in sera and saliva samples, while there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in total antioxidant status of sera and saliva samples. Meanwhile when the comparison was done between patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and those without proliferative diabetic retinopathy, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in both salivary total oxidant status and oxidative stress index was observed with a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in sera and salivary total antioxidant status were found in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients group.
