GLYCEMIA AND BODY-MASS AS DETERMINANTS OF PLASMA LECITHIN - CHOLESTEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN NIGERIAN PATIENTS WITH NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS
Ao. Akanji et Eo. Agbedana, GLYCEMIA AND BODY-MASS AS DETERMINANTS OF PLASMA LECITHIN - CHOLESTEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN NIGERIAN PATIENTS WITH NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS, Clinica chimica acta, 238(1), 1995, pp. 35-42
There is an inverse correlation between plasma high density lipoprotei
n (HDL) concentrations and atherogenic vascular morbidity risk. An imp
ortant pathway for modulating circulating HDL levels is the reaction c
atalysed by the plasma enzyme, lecithin :cholesterol acyltransferase (
LCAT). Thus, determinants of LCAT activity should influence plasma HDL
levels and be accessible targets for intervention. We therefore asses
sed such determinants in Nigerian patients with non-insulin dependent
diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), classified into age- and sex-matched groups
of obese (body mass index, BMI, > 25 kg/m(2)) and non-obese (BMI < 25
kg/m(2)). Our results indicated that 10 obese diabetic patients had s
ignificantly reduced plasma LCAT activity and HDL levels and increased
plasma triglyceride (TG) levels, in comparison with the observations
in 9 non-obese diabetic patients (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, worsenin
g of glycaemic control, when oral hypoglycaemic treatment was disconti
nued for 1 week in 10 diabetic (5 obese) patients, further reduced fas
ting levels of HDL and plasma LCAT activity (both P < 0.05). Although
plasma HDL concentrations and LCAT activity levels did not correlate s
ignificantly, the latter nonetheless had a significant inverse relatio
nship with fasting plasma glucose levels in the obese diabetic subject
s (r -0.51, P < 0.05). These results indicate that glycaemia and body
mass are important determinants of plasma LCAT activity. Both variable
s are subject to pharmacological and dietary intervention with the obj
ective of increasing circulating HDL levels.