Serum sialic acid changes in type 2 diabetic patients on metformin or rosiglitazone treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Serum sialic acid is a recently investigated potential risk-marker for cardiovascular complications. There is a known association between sialic acid and cardiovascular complications in diabetes mellitus. We aimed to investigate the effect of antidiabetic drugs on the serum concentration of sialic acid.


METHODS
We investigated the effect of metformin and rosiglitazone on the concentration of sialic acid in 120 type 2 diabetic patients, divided into a group (n = 60) receiving metformin and a group (n = 60) receiving rosiglitazone treatment.


RESULTS
Serum sialic acid was significantly higher in patients on rosiglitazone (66·90 ± 8·80 mg/dL vs. 57·6 ± 8·46 mg/dL, P < 0·01) and metformin (61·95 ± 10·49 mg/dL vs. 57·6 ± 8·46 mg/dL, P < 0·04) when compared with control subjects. In addition, rosiglitazone-treated patients showed a significant increase in cardiovascular risk factors, notably total cholesterol (246·45 ± 20·2 mg/dL vs. 170·6 ± 15·1 mg/dL, P = 0·01), triglyceride (178 ± 9·20 mg/dL vs. 149·35 ± 6·31 mg/dL, P < 0·04) and glycohemoglobin (HbA1-c) concentration (8·17 ± 1·43% vs. 4·38 ± 0·96%, P < 0·02) compared with normal control subjects. The patients on metformin also showed significantly higher levels of serum glucose (133·7 ± 9·63 mg/dL vs. 88·35 ± 6·31 mg/dL, P < 0·04) and glycohemoglobin (HbA1-c) (8·23 ± 1·75% vs. 4·38 ± 0·96%, P < 0·02) when compared with control subjects. Comparison of the two groups of patients revealed a significantly higher serum sialic acid (66·90 ± 8·80 mg/dL vs. 61·95 ± 10·49 mg/dL, P < 0·05), total cholesterol (246·45 ± 20·2 mg/dL vs. 192 ± 14·23 mg/dL, P < 0·02) and triglyceride (178 ± 9·20 mg/dL vs. 158 ± 14·51mg/dL, P < 0·05) concentrations in the rosiglitazone-treated patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests significantly higher levels of serum sialic acid and other cardiovascular risk factors in rosiglitazone-treated patients than in metformin-treated patients. The lower sialic acid concentration may explain a better metformin antidiabetic effect than with rosiglitazone.
Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid e Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. marwax07@yahoo.com
I U
IU
Rahman
S A
SA
Malik
M
M
Bashir
R U
RU
Khan
M
M
Idrees
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D008687:Metformin; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D014280:Triglycerides