APOLIPOPROTEIN-AI-CIII, APOLIPOPROTEIN-B AND APOLIPOPROTEIN-CII GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN PATIENTS WITH NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS- ASSOCIATION WITH HYPERLIPIDEMIA

BACKGROUND: Dislipidaemia is an usual feature in patients affected by non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, Several studies show that thi s disease could be genetically determined. The aim of this study was t o ascertain whether any of the genetic polymorphism remaining in three apolipoprotein loci (apolipoprotein AI-CIII, B100 and CII) is related with the presence of dislipidaemia in non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 53 non insulin dependent diab etes mellitus patients with less than 5 years evolution and treated on ly with diet, were included. 86 healthy persons were included as the c ontrol group, The lipidic parameters analyzed were: cholesterol, LDL c holesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein Al, B and l ipoprotein (a). The following polymorphic variants were analyzed: RFLP -Sacl of the apolipoprotein AI-CIII-AIV cluster, RFLP-Xbal of the apol ipoprotein B100 region and the RFLP-Taql of the apolipoprotein E-CI-CI I cluster. RESULTS: There were no genetic nor allelic differences in t he distribution of the genes, between controls acid diabetic patients, Regarding the apolipoprotein CII gen, the diabetic patients with the T2T2 genotype had higher triglyceride levels (p < 0.01) compared with the remaining genotypes and compared with the control group having the same genotype (p < 0.01) matched for sex, age and body mass index. Th ere was no difference in the metabolic parameters' distribution relate d to the genotypic distribution of the apolipoproteins AI-CIII and B10 0 genes. CONCLUSIONS: The apolipoprotein CII can be related with the p resence of hypertriglyceridaemia in non insulin dependent diabetes mel litus patients.