SERUM-FREE AND PROTEIN-BOUND SUGARS AND CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN DIABETES-MELLITUS

Abstract

Free and protein-boudn serum sugars and serum lipids were analyzed in 65 adult diabetic patients, 10 age-matched controls and 24 male medical students for correlation of carbohydrate changes with the extent of retinal, renal and cardiovascular disease. In diabetic sera, both protein-bound sugars and free mannose, fucose and hexosamine were significantly elevated; free galactose and inositol were elevated in some diabetic patients, and essentially undetectable in sera from controls. Serum triglycerides and pre-.beta.-lipoproteins were also elevated in diabetics, but .alpha.-lipoproteins decreased. Although no specific relationships were observed with the extent of retinal and renal disease, bivariate analyzes by Pearson coefficients of correlation showed correlations between levels of serum-free mannose and systolic blood pressure, free hexosamine with duration of diabetes and serum protein-bound fucose and age. Serum triglycerides and pre-.beta.-lipoprotein levels correlated with insulin therapy. These are preliminary leads of laboratory studies related to carbohydrate macromolecular changes which might aid in a better understanding of the cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes.