Cholesterol synthesis and absorption markers in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common form of diabetes caused by insufficient insulin secretion, insulin resistance, or both. Considering the high prevalence of T2DM, and the role of various components in the progress of the disease, and in order to better understand some of the mechanisms of pathogenesis responsible for the progression of T2DM, this study aimed to investigate if the levels of cholesterol synthesis and absorption markers in patients with T2DM was different compared with healthy subjects. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 150 men between 40 and 60 years of age were selected from people attending Isfahan diabetes centers and the Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan, Iran. The subjects were divided into control group including 50 apparently healthy men with normal fasting blood glucose (FBG) and no history of T2DM, and 100 patients with FBG ≥ 126 mg/dl and a history of T2DM. Fasting serum and plasma samples were used to measure biochemical parameters using commercial laboratory methods, and absorption and synthesis markers of cholesterol, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. Statistical analyzes were done via SPSS software using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, independent t, and Mann-Whitney tests at the significance level of P < 0.05. Findings: There were significant differences in the biochemical and anthropometric parameters between the studied groups. Evaluation of the concentration ratio of absorption (β-sitosterol and campesterol) and synthesis (lathosterol and desmosterol) markers to cholesterol showed a significant increase in the synthesis markers, and a significant decrease in the absorption markers in the patients group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the rate of cholesterol synthesis is increased, and that of cholesterol absorption is decreased in a population of Iranian patients with T2DM. These findings are in accordance with data from other populations, and may indicate that the cholesterol synthesis and absorption markers may be used as surrogate markers to better understand some of the pathogenesis mechanisms involved in the development and complications of T2DM, and may help to predict, and treat its complications more effectively in the future. © 2019, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.