Apolipoprotein (a) concentrations in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.

It has been suggested that insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients have higher values of lipoprotein (a)-Lp (a) that may account for their increased atherogenic risk, as related to non-diabetic subjects. We compared the plasma values of apolipoprotein (a)-(apo) (a) in type 1 diabetic patients (n = 26) hospitalized in our department and in non-diabetic subjects (n = 20) from Timişoara, Romania. IDDM patients had higher levels of apo (a) than controls [115(102-227) vs 58 (51-106) U/l; medians with 95% confidence intervals]; (p = 0.0083). Diabetes duration, the levels of hemoglobin A1 (Hb A1) and the values of body mass index (BMI) were not significantly related to apo(a) concentrations, while no correlations were found between apo (a) and plasma lipid values (total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), triglyceride. A significant association was noticed between apo (a) and apo B both in IDDM patients (r = 0.43; 0.02 < p < 0.05), and in controls (r = 0.83; p < 0.001). We conclude that apo (a) levels are higher in IDDM patients than in non-diabetic subjects, but they are not related to the degree of glycemic control. Apo (a) and apo B are significantly correlated, both of them being well-known atherogenic risk factors.