Apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio in relation to various definitions of metabolic syndrome among Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To assess if the apolipoprotein (Apo) B/Apo A-I ratio in Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS).


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 patients with T2DM, above 40 years of age, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital Diabetes Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and December 2006. Metabolic syndrome was defined, and compared according to 3 criteria, namely, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, International Diabetes Federation, and World Health Organization.


RESULTS
In the 250 patients studied, all 3 definitions demonstrated significant increase in the Apo B/Apo A-I ratio, in Saudi type 2 diabetics with the MetS. There was a strong positive correlation between the Apo B/Apo A-I ratio and triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol (r=0.43-0.54, p<0.0001), and a weak, yet significant, correlation (r=0.14-0.21, p<0.05) with waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c, however, not with body mass index (r=0.01, p=0.88). In contrast, the ratio showed strong negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = -0.7, p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio is significantly associated with MetS in Saudi patients with T2DM, similar to observations made in other ethnic groups.
Department of Internal Medicine and the Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, PO Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. aalfadda@ksu.edu.sa
Assim A
AA
Alfadda
Nasser M
NM
Al-Daghri
Usman H
UH
Malabu
D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia
D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B