Possible Biochemical Abnormalities of Plasma Lipids and Apo-lipoprotein in Diabetes Mellitus Patients with or without Retinopathy In Saki- West Local Government Area of Oyo State- Nigeria

Study Background: Possible metabolic disorders of lipid, carbohydrate and protein are associated with Diabetes mellitus which may include complications such as retinopathy considering the pathophysiology of this metabolic disease.

Aims and Objectives: This work was designed to determine apolipoproteins (ApoA, ApoB), Total cholesterol (TC), Total Triglyceride (TG), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), Very Low-density Lipoprotein (VLDL), High-density Lipoprotein (HDL-C) in Diabetes mellitus patients with or without retinopathy.

Materials and Methods: 261 subjects were recruited for this study from the Medical outpatient and ophthalmology clinic of Baptist Medical Center Saki-Nigeria. The subjects were classified into; Non- Diabetes mellitus without retinopathy Control subjects (n=100: Female-50; Male-50), Diabetes mellitus patients without retinopathy (n=100: Female-50; Male-50) and Diabetes mellitus with retinopathy (n=61: Female-22; Male-39) aged 50 to 76 years. The Body mass index (BMI) of the subjects ranged between 18.2 – 19.6 Kg/m2. Plasma Total cholesterol (TC), Total Triglyceride (TG), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), Very Low density Lipoprotein (VLDL), High-density Lipoprotein (HDL-C) were determined biochemically using chemistry auto-analyser – COBAS C111 while ELISA technique determined apolipoproteins (ApoA, ApoB).

Results: The result obtained showed a significantly higher mean plasma value of Fasting Plasma Glucose, Total cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL, TG and Apo B/Apo A1 in a patient with Diabetes mellitus without Retinopathy than the control non-diabetic subjects without retinopathy with p<0.05. There was a significantly higher plasma value of Fasting Plasma Glucose, Total cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL, TG Apo B and Apo B/Apo A1and a significantly lower plasma value of Apo A1 in patients with Diabetes mellitus and Retinopathy when compared to the control non-diabetic subjects without retinopathy with p<0.05. There was also a significantly higher mean plasma value of Fasting Plasma Glucose, LDL-C, TG, Total cholesterol, and Apo B/Apo A1 in Diabetes mellitus patients with Retinopathy than the Diabetes mellitus without Retinopathy with p<0.05.

Conclusion: This work has been used to reveal a significant association between increased plasma Total cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL-C, VLDL, ApoB and ApoB/ApoA ratio and decreased plasma ApoA in Diabetes mellitus patients with or without retinopathy which was found to be more intense in those patients with retinopathy.