Uncomplicated type 1 diabetes is associated with increased asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations.
BACKGROUND
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has recently emerged as an independent risk marker for cardiovascular disease, but studies investigating the ADMA levels in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) are scarce.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to evaluate plasma ADMA, L-arginine concentrations, and L-arginine to ADMA ratio in uncomplicated type 1 diabetic patients and controls.


METHODS
Forty patients with type 1 DM who did not have clinical evidence of vascular complications and 35 healthy controls were included in the study.


RESULTS
Plasma ADMA concentrations were higher (2.6 +/- 1.9 vs. 1.7 +/- 0.7 micromol/liter, P < 0.01), and L-arginine levels were lower (79.3 +/- 22.6 vs. 89.6 +/- 19.4 micromol/liter, P < 0.05) in the diabetic group, compared with controls. The L-arginine to ADMA ratio was also lower in the diabetic group (38.7 +/- 17.1 vs. 62.0 +/- 27.9, P < 0.0001). In diabetic patients, logADMA correlated positively with body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.01), fasting blood glucose (P = 0.006), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (P = 0.01) and negatively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.03). L-arginine to ADMA ratio correlated negatively with BMI (P = 0.004), fasting blood glucose (P = 0.02), and LDL-c (P = 0.01) and positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.04). In controls, logADMA and L-arginine to ADMA ratio correlated with BMI and LDL-c (P < 0.05). In regression analysis, BMI predicted 15% variance of ADMA levels (P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that ADMA increases and L-arginine to ADMA ratio decreases, even before the development of vascular complications in type 1 DM.
Altinova
Alev E
AE
Departments of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ahmet Rasim Sok. 41/6, 06550 Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey. alevaltinova@yahoo.com
Arslan
Metin
M
Sepici-Dincel
Aylin
A
Akturk
Mujde
M
Altan
Nilgun
N
Toruner
Fusun B
FB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012043:Regression, Psychology
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; C487735:dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine