High-density lipoprotein subclass and particle size in coronary heart disease patients with or without diabetes

Background: A higher prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in people with diabetes. We investigated the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclass profiles and alterations of particle size in CHD patients with diabetes or without diabetes. Methods: Plasma HDL subclasses were quantified in CHD by 1-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with immunodetection. Results: Although the particle size of HDL tend to small, the mean levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) have achieved normal or desirable for CHD patients with or without diabetes who administered statins therapy. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), TC, LDL-C concentrations, and HDL3 (HDL3b and (3a)) contents along with Gensini Score were significantly higher; but those of HDL-C, HDL2b+pre beta 2, and HDL2a were significantly lower in CHD patients with diabetes versus CHD patients without diabetes; The pre beta(1)-HDL contents did not differ significantly between these groups. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that Gensini Score was significantly and independently predicted by HDL2a, and HDL2b+pre beta 2. Conclusions: The abnormality of HDL subpopulations distribution and particle size may contribute to CHD risk in diabetes patients. The HDL subclasses distribution may help in severity of coronary artery and risk stratification, especially in CHD patients with therapeutic LDL, TG and HDL levels.