Effect of type 2 diabetes on various electrophoretic characteristics of low-density lipoprotein particles in women

Aims/hypothesis Coronary heart disease represents the leading cause of death in type 2 diabetic patients. As the small, dense LDL phenotype is a typical feature of the dyslipidaemic state found in type 2 diabetes, this characteristic could be an important mediator of the elevated coronary heart disease risk in this condition. We have therefore studied the effect of type 2 diabetes on various electrophoretic characteristics of LDL particles.Methods Potential differences in LDL peak particle size and in concentration of LDL cholesterol in small (<255 Å) and large (>260 Å) LDL particles were assessed by polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis among 183 non-diabetic and 56 type 2 diabetic women.Results LDL peak particle size was significantly smaller in type 2 diabetic women than in non-diabetic women (p<0.0001). In addition, the proportion of small LDL particles (<255 Å) was higher in type 2 diabetic women, whereas the proportion of large LDL particles (>260 Å) was lower than in non-diabetic women (p<0.0002). Type 2 diabetic women also had the highest waist circumference and triglyceride levels (p<0.03). When subgroups of non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic women were individually matched (n=41) for similar waist circumference and triglyceride levels, the differences initially found in LDL peak particle size and in the proportion of small and large LDL particles remained significantly different between the two groups (p<0.01).Conclusions/interpretation These results provide evidence that type 2 diabetes may have an independent effect on LDL peak particle size and on the proportion of small and large LDL particles.