Increased postprandial apolipoprotein B-48 level after a test meal in diabetic patients: A multicenter, cross-sectional study

Objective To evaluate plasma apolipoprotein B (ApoB)-48 concentrations among Korean diabetic subjects with normal to moderately high levels of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Methods This multicenter, cross-sectional study included subjects with LDL-C levels between 100 and 160 mg/dL who had not been treated with a lipid-lowering agent for over 6 weeks prior to baseline. Blood tests to assess lipid-profile parameters were conducted in both fasting and postprandial states. This study compared ApoB-48 and other lipid-profile parameters in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Results Of the 93 subjects enrolled, 88 (42 diabetic; 46 nondiabetic) completed the study. Significantly higher mean incremental area under curve (0-6 h; iAUC_0-6h) of postprandial ApoB-48 levels was noted among diabetic subjects than nondiabetic subjects (p = 0.0078). The mean postprandial ApoB-48 peak level was higher in diabetic subjects; however, the difference was not statistically significant. The fasting ApoB-48 level was similar in both groups: 5.9 (3.5) in diabetics and 7.3 (5.8) in nondiabetics (p = 0.18). The iAUC_0-6h of postprandial total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), LDL-C, non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), ApoB-100, and remnant cholesterol was similar in both groups. The ApoB-48 level was moderately correlated with TG and non-HDL-C for both groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion Without lipid-lowering treatment, the postprandial increment in ApoB-48 level was significantly higher in Korean diabetic subjects compared with nondiabetic subjects, irrespective of similar LDL-C levels.