Relationship between metabolic control and plasma lipoprotein level in diabetic children

Abstract

All lipid and lipoprotein fractions except for total cholesterol were found to be high in diabetic children under long-term treatment. There was a positive correlation between HDL-cholesterol, HbA1a-c and the insulin dose. In untreated diabetic children, plasma triglyceride and its subfractions were also high, but phospholipids were normal. Total plasma cholesterol was normal, but its VLDL + LDL subfraction was increased and HDL-cholesterol low. After two months of insulin-treatment, parallel with the decrease of HbA1a-c, the HDL-cholesterol increased and there was a drop in the level of triglycerides. It is concluded that HDL-cholesterol is a good parameter of metabolic control during the initial therapy of diabetes. In patients under long-term treatment there is no such a simple relationship between control and HDL-cholesterol and the daily insulin-dose seems to play an important role in the regulation of plasma HDL-cholesterol.