Adverse Lipid and Inflammatory Changes in Young Nondiabetic First-Degree Relatives of Type 1-Diabetic Patients

• Background: Previous studies from our and other centers on young patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have indicated pro-atherosclerotic changes in the carotid arteries and in the lipid and systemic inflammatory profiles without a clear relationship between these changes and the hyperglycemic control. We have also earlier found in these patients a certain HLA-related genetic susceptibility to adverse vascular changes.Objective: To assess whether pro-atherosclerotic changes are present in apparently healthy first- degree relatives of patients with T1D.Methods: Plasma lipids, C-peptide (index of insulin secretion), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT), compliance (CAC) and stiffness index (SI) were assessed in up to 116 non-diabetic first-degree relatives (FDR; mean age: 12.6 years; 56 female) of patients with T1D and in up to 43 age-matched control individuals (mean age: 13.3 years; 23 female) without heredity for cardiovascular risk factors. The number and type of clinically manifest acute infections during the past year were obtained via a questionnaire validated in our previous studies.Results: There was no difference in age, gender, body mass index, arterial blood pressure and C- peptide levels between the FDR and control groups (p>0.2). Also, there was no significant difference in SI (p=0.2), CAC (p=0.1) and CA-IMT (p=0.9) between the groups. In the FDR group, plasma CRP and LDL- cholesterol (LDL-C) were increased (p<0.05 for both) and HDL-C was decreased (p<0.0001) as compared to the control group. The changes in LDL-C and HDL-C were most marked in FDR individuals with ≥ 4 acute respiratory infections during the past year (Figure).Conclusion: Adverse lipidemic and inflammatory changes are present in healthy non-diabetic first- degree relatives of T1D patients, probably related to their genetic susceptibility to this disease. Further analyses of additional indices of peripheral arterial function in these groups are under way.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Endokrinologi och diabetes (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Endocrinology and Diabetes (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

kon (subject category)

ref (subject category)