THE EFFECTS OF GENDER AND TYPE OF DIABETES ON HDL-CHOLESTEROL

Objective : To investigate the influence of gender and type of Diabete s on plasma lipoproteins and post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase an d hepatic lipase activities. Design and Patients : Cross sectional stu dy of 22 lean Type 2 diabetic subjects (11 men, 11 women) individually matched for gender, BMI and HbAI with 22 Type 1 (C-peptide negative) diabetic subjects. Measurements: Samples were taken for fasting lipids and post heparin samples were obtained for estimation of post heparin lipolytic activity. Results : In men, HDL-Cholesterol was higher in T ype 1 diabetes [1.56 (range 0.97-2.27) vs 1.07 (0.54-1.78) mmol/l, p=0 .009] and this was reflected in both HDL(2)-cholesterol [0.42 (0.02-1. 36) vs 0.22 (0.01-0.90) mmol/1, p=0.05] and HDL(3)-cholesterol [1.00 ( 0.75-1.51) vs 0.72 (0.53-0.87) mmol/l, p=0.02] subfractions while seru m triglyceride concentrations were similar. Lipoprotein lipase activit y was higher in men with Type 1 diabetes [16.2 (6.2-42.4) vs 9.77 (5.6 -22.6) mmol/h/l, p=0.02] while hepatic lipase activities were similar [15.7 (9.3-23.0) vs 14.0 (6.8-24.0) mmol/h/l, NS). In women, there wer e no significant differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in tri glycerides, HDL-C, HDL, or HDL,. Lipoprotein lipase activity was highe r in Type 1 women [19.3 (14.1-35.7) vs 11.0 (7.2-15.2) mmol/h-l l-1, p =0.0006] but lipeatic lipase activity was also higher [12.1 (4.8-20.5) vs 7.3 (2.3-21.4) mmol/h-l l-1, p=0.023]. Conclusion : In non-obese d iabetic subjects, men with Type 1 diabetes have higher HDL-cholesterol than those with Type 2 diabetes, possibly due to the action of periph eral insulin on lipoprotein lipase activity, while in women, HDL-chole sterol concentrations were similar in Type 1 and Type 2 subjects possi bly because of lowered lipatic lipase activity in Type 2 women which o ffsets the increased lipoprotein lipase activity of the Type 1 women.