Fatty acid composition of serum lipid fractions in type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the fatty acid composition of serum phospholipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol ester fractions and to analyze the lipid profile of microalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients.


METHODS
A case-control study was conducted with 72 patients: 37 were normoalbuminuric (urinary albumin excretion rate [UAER] <20 microg/min), and 35 were microalbuminuric (UAER 20-200 microg/min). After 4 weeks of a standardized diet, the fatty acid composition of phospholipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol ester fractions was determined by gas chromatography. Total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured by enzymatic-colorimetric methods; cholesterol HDL by double precipitation with heparin, MnCl(2), and dextran sulfate; and apolipoprotein B by immunoturbidimetry.


RESULTS
Microalbuminuric patients showed a lower proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (24.8 +/- 11.0%), especially of the n-6 family (21.7 +/- 10.5%), in triglyceride fraction than normoalbuminuric patients (34.1 +/- 11.3%, P = 0.001 and 31.4 +/- 11.5%, P < 0.001, respectively). Patients with microalbuminuria also presented higher levels of saturated fatty acids in triglyceride fraction (43.4 +/- 18.0% vs. 34.7 +/- 13.1%, P = 0.022). In the logistic regression analysis, only the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in triglyceride fraction remained significantly associated with microalbuminuria (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% CI 0.85-0.98, P = 0.019). Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and apolipoprotein B levels were similar in normo- and microalbuminuric patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients is associated with low polyunsaturated fatty acid contents in serum triglyceride fraction. This association may represent a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may contribute to the progression of renal disease.
Perassolo
Magda S
MS
Endocrine Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Almeida
Jussara C
JC
Prá
Ronivan L
RL
Mello
Vanessa D
VD
Maia
Ana L
AL
Moulin
Cileide C
CC
Camargo
Joíza L
JL
Zelmanovitz
Themis
T
Azevedo
Mirela J
MJ
Gross
Jorge L
JL
D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D004032:Diet; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; C107608:FABP7 protein, human; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins