Abstract 13

The presence of autoantibodies against glycated-low density lipoprotein (LDL-G) in diabetic patients has been described. These have been related with chronic complications of Diabetes mellitus. We have demonstrated the presence of autoantibodies against in vitro LDL-G in type 2 diabetic patients. In this regard, the aim of this work is to study the presence of LDL-G and autoantibodies against LDL-G in insulin-dependent diabetic (DMID) patients. 32 DMID (17 females, 15 males) and 27 control subjects (SC) (13 females, 14 males) of compatible age (11.96 vs 11.54; p > 0.05) were studied. The levels of HbA1c were 11.39±2.87, and the duration time of diabetes was 4.79±4.05 years. The presence of LDL-G in both populations was evaluated by means of an ELISA sandwich using as a trapping agent a monoclonal antibody (AcMo) against in vitro LDL-G. The autoantibodies were determined by an indirect ELISA method using native LDL and in vitro LDL-G as antigens. No significant differences were stablished in the evaluation of LDL-G in both populations (0.132 ± 0.035DMID vs 0.125 ±0.027sc; p < 0.05). The determination of autoantibodies against LDL-G showed no statistical difference between the two groups (1.190 ± 0.223DMID vs 1.271 ± 0.180sc; p > 0.05). There has been a slight correlation between HbAlc and LDL-G (r = 0.218; p = 0.23). Concluding, the DMID patients did neither show elevated levels of LDL-G nor detectable levels of the autoantibodies against LDL-G. If the glycation products would be produced in the diabetic, the LDL-G would be cleared by the organism. It is likely that the values of LDL-G in the diabetic do not reach detectable levels or might be transformed to advanced glycated products. In vitro LDL-G does not possess the same epitopes as does the in vivo glycated LDL-G. However, in order to confirm these findings a bigger group of subjects has to be studied to obtain relevant results.