Factors influencing elevated serum apolipoprotein B48 in diabetic and control participants

Factors influencing the concentration of apolipoprotein B48 (apo B48) at fasting and post-prandial time frames are still being elucidated. This study assesses some possible contributing factors including the presence of type 2 diabetes and gender using an established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Apo B48 and triglyceride (TG) levels were measured before and for two, four and six hours post-prandially in 49 poorly controlled participants with type 2 diabetes and in 60 apparently healthy participants (controls). Apo B48 levels in the control participants increased post-prandially, peaking at four hours (14.81 ± 7.72 μg/mL) with similar responses demonstrated in TG concentrations. Post-prandial apo B48 levels were significantly higher in male control participants as demonstrated by apo B48 area under the curve (AUC); similar responses were also confirmed in triglyceride AUC. Post-prandial apo B48 concentrations in control participants correlated with HOMA-IR (P < 0.05). Apo B48 continued to increase throughout the six hours in participants with type 2 diabetes (17.73 ± 13.46 μg/mL), when levels were significantly greater than in the control participants (13.04 ± 7.67 μg/mL) (P < 0.05) despite a decrease in accompanying TG levels in participants with type 2 diabetes. Using an ELISA method, this study demonstrated that gender, insulin resistance (as evidenced by HOMA-IR) and diabetes status influence serum apo B48 levels. These effects were only apparent post-prandially.