Cholesterol Absorption and Synthesis in Children With Type 1 Diabetes
- Mikko Järvisalo, MD, PHD1,
- Olli Raitakari, MD, PHD2,
- Helena Gylling, MD, PHD3 and
- Tatu A. Miettinen, MD, PHD4
- 1Centre for Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- 2Department of Clinical Physiology, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
- 3Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- 4Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Tatu A. Miettinen, MD, Biomedicum Helsinki C4 22, P.O. Box 700, FIN-00029 HUS. E-mail: tatu.a.miettinen{at}helsinki.fi
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—The levels of the surrogate markers of cholesterol absorption (cholestanol and plant sterols) and synthesis (cholesterol precursors) in serum have suggested that in adult type 1 diabetes, cholesterol absorption is high and synthesis is low compared with type 2 diabetic or control subjects. Accordingly, these findings were further studied in children with type 1 diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Forty-eight children with diabetes were compared with 79 age- and sex-matched control subjects. The serum ratios of cholesterol absorption and synthesis markers were measured with gas-liquid chromatography. The study population was divided into triads (combining the two lowest triads) by serum cholestanol ratios of the control subjects indicating low to high cholesterol absorption efficiency.
RESULTS—The ratios of the absorption and synthesis markers were similar in case and control subjects, and they were negatively related to each other in control subjects, being less consistent in diabetic patients. Thus, high cholesterol absorption was associated with low synthesis. Plant sterol ratios increased significantly with increasing cholestanol triads in both groups, but the values in the lowest triads were higher in case versus control subjects.
CONCLUSIONS—Homeostasis between cholesterol absorption and synthesis is maintained in control children and somewhat less consistently in those with diabetes. The higher plant sterol ratios in diabetic versus control subjects in the lowest cholestanol triads suggest that cholesterol absorption is higher in children with diabetes versus control subjects but only within the range of low cholesterol absorption.
- GLC, gas-liquid chromatography
- STRIP, Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project for children
Footnotes
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A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Accepted May 28, 2006.
- Received November 16, 2005.
- DIABETES CARE
