Analysis of Lipoprotein Subfractions in 920 Patients With and Without Type 2 Diabetes

It has been demonstrated that diabetic dyslipidaemia is the chief bridge between diabetes and incremental risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes. However, the characteristics of lipoprotein subfractions distribution in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have not been fully investigated. The aim of present study was to evaluate the distributions of lipoprotein subfractions in T2D patients.

A total of 920 patients, who have not received lipid-lowering drug treatment previously, were consecutively enrolled in this study. Based on the evidence of diabetes, patients were divided into T2D group (n=204) and non-T2D group (n=716). Both low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL- and HDL-C) subfractions were analysed using the Quantimetrix Lipoprint System. The distributions of lipoprotein subfractions were evaluated in patients with and without T2D.

Compared with non-T2D individuals, the T2D group manifested significantly lower large HDL-C concentration/HDL subfraction percentage, smaller mean LDL particle size but higher small HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations as well as small HDL and LDL subfraction percentages. Moreover, the data indicated that the small HDL-C/ LDL-C concentrations, the small and large HDL subfraction percentages along with the mean LDL particle size were independently related to the existence of T2D (95% CI=1.009-1.067, p=0.009; 95% CI=0.938-0.983, p=0.001; 95% CI=1.023-1.135, p=0.005; 95% CI= 1.005-1.048, p=0.014; 95% CI=0.940-0.999, p=0.040; respectively) assessed by logistic regression analysis.

The present study indicated that the changes of lipid profile in patients with T2D are characterised by abnormal distributions of lipoprotein subfractions apart from clinically atherogenic dyslipidaemia.