Background: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is characterized by an increased risk of having cardiovascular diseases which have been associated to, among other factors, an increase in lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels.
Methods: With the aim of analyzing the relationship between Lp(a) plasma levels and the degree of metabolic control in infantile diabetes mellitus their levels have been evaluated in children with IDDM and correlated with the degree of metabolic control and the length of disease evolution. The study was performed in a sample of 41 children diagnosed with IDDM and ages ranging from 2 to 9 years, and 82 normolipemic healthy children corresponding to the same ages and an equal proportion by sex. Cholesterol and total triglycerides, HDL, LDL and VLDL cholesterol, apolipoproteins AI and B were determined in all. Fasting glycemia, glycohemoglobin, serum fructosamine and creatinine clearance were used as markers of metabolic disease control.
Results: No significant differences were observed in the Lp(a) values among sexes or age in the control group. Upon comparison of the Lp(a) values of the diabetic patients with the control group, no significant differences were observed. In the diabetic children, no differences were found between the Lp(a) values according to the glycohemoglobin values (X +/- SD g/l) (< 8% 0.16 +/- 0.13); (> or = 8% 0.21 +/- 0.26). The Lp(a) values were only increased in diabetic children with more than 5 years of evolution (control: 0.12 +/- 0.14, IDDM < or = 5 years; 0.16 +/- 0.16 and IDDM > 5 years: 0.34 +/- 0.31 [p < 0.01]).
Conclusions: The plasma levels of Lp(a) in diabetic children are significantly related to the length of disease evolution and are independent of the degree of metabolic control.