Influence of endogenous hyperinsulinism on high density lipoprotein2 level in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance

We determined the insulin response to an oral glucose ingestion and levels of serum lipoproteins in 25 untreated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, in 26 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and in 35 non-diabetic control subjects. The three groups had similar compositions with respect to age and sex distribution. The levels of VLDL triglyceride in the subjects with type 2 diabetes or IGT were higher than those in controls. Serum HDL- and HDL2 cholesterol were significantly decreased in type 2 diabetics, and the subjects with IGT showed a similar tendency. Serum apolipoprotein A-II levels were lower in the male subjects with type 2 diabetes or IGT than in controls. Insulin response, i.e., sum of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels at basal, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after a 75-g oral glucose load, negatively correlated to HDL- and HDL2 cholesterol levels (r = -0.396, P less than 0.05; r = -0.482, P less than 0.001, respectively), and positively correlated to VLDL triglyceride values (r = 0.485, P less than 0.001) in the male subjects with type 2 diabetes or IGT. In the female subjects, fasting plasma IRI values significantly correlated to HDL cholesterol (r = -0.496, P less than 0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between the concentrations of HDL2 cholesterol and VLDL triglyceride. These data show that lipoprotein metabolism, not only in type 2 diabetics, but also in IGT tends to show changes such as decreased HDL2 cholesterol and increased VLDL triglyceride levels, and which might be related to the hypersecretion of endogenous insulin.