Lipoprotein(a) levels in black and white children and adolescents with IDDM

• Published in: Diabetes care Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 283 - 287
• Main Authors: Levitsky, L.L. (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA), Scanu, A.M, Gould, S.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria, VA American Diabetes Association 01-04-1991
• Subjects: Adolescent; African Continental Ancestry Group; Analysis of Variance; APOLIPOPROTEINS; Associated diseases and complications; Biological and medical sciences; BLOOD LIPIDS; caucasians; Child; CHILDREN; COMPARISONS; DIABETE; DIABETES; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - ethnology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; ENFANT; ETHNIC GROUPS; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; GENETIC MARKERS; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; glycosylated hemoglobin; GROUPE ETHNIQUE; GRUPOS ETNICOS; HAEMOGLOBIN; HEMOGLOBINA; HEMOGLOBINE; HIPERGLICEMIA; Humans; HYPERGLYCAEMIA; HYPERGLYCEMIE; JEUNESSE; JUVENTUD; LIPAEMIA; LIPEMIA; LIPEMIE; Lipoprotein(a); LIPOPROTEINAS; LIPOPROTEINE; LIPOPROTEINS; Lipoproteins - blood; Male; MARCADORES GENETICOS; MARQUEUR GENETIQUE; Medical sciences; NINOS; Regression Analysis; YOUTH; Human; Endocrinopathy; Hyperglycemia; Adolescent; Race; Insulin dependent diabetes; Negroid; Lipids; Lipoprotein; Caucasoid; Metabolism; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0149-5992; 1935-5548
• DOI: 10.2337/diacare.14.4.283

Lipoprotein(a) levels in black and white children and adolescents with IDDM.
L L Levitsky ,
A M Scanu and
S H Gould
Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Illinois.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], diabetes, and glycemic control in white and
black nondiabetic control and insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) children and adolescents, fasting blood analyses were conducted
on a subject sample drawn from referral-based diabetes and endocrine clinics and a primary-care general pediatric clinic.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Thirty-six white and 16 black children with IDDM who volunteered to participate in this study
were compared with 30 white and 42 black nondiabetic control children. RESULTS: Lp(a) protein levels were significantly higher
(P less than 0.05) in both groups of black children compared with whites (black vs. white nondiabetic children 6.8 +/- 0.95
vs. 3.1 +/- 0.68 mg/dl and black vs. white diabetic children 7.5 +/- 1.52 vs. 3.0 +/- 0.64 mg/dl). Lp(a) protein levels directly
correlated with the level of glycosylated hemoglobin (r = 0.46, P less than 0.01) in white diabetic children but not in black
diabetic children. Well-controlled white diabetic children (n = 12, glycosylated hemoglobin less than 10%) had a mean Lp(a)
protein level of 1.4 +/- 0.3 mg/dl compared with poorly controlled white diabetic children (n = 10, glycosylated hemoglobin
greater than 13%) whose mean Lp(a) protein level was 5.7 +/- 1.7 mg/dl (P less than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that circulating
levels of Lp(a) protein are increased in hyperglycemia. A genetically determined elevated level of Lp(a) is a risk factor
for atherosclerotic disease in white and Asian adults. Elevated Lp(a) should be investigated as an independent risk factor
for atherosclerotic disease in IDDM. It could prove to be an additional mechanism for the development of diabetic complications
in selected populations.