ABSTRACT
LDLs obtainded from blood of healthy subjects, were glycated or altered with malondialbehyde and used as antigens. Serum autoantibodies against these LDLs were measured by ELISA in 22 patients with non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus aged 46 to 67 years old and 13 healthy controls aged 41 to 64 years old. Basal and LDL stimulated tumor necrosis factor production in vitro, by peripheral leukocytes of diabetics and controls was also measured. Results: The ratio of glycated LDL/native LDL antibodies was higher in diabetics than in controls (9.37 ñ 2.72 and 0.41 ñ 0.11 respectively p < 0.05) and the ratio of MDA modified LDL/native LDL antibodies was not significantly different (8.64 ñ 3.83 and 2.14 ñ 1.26 respectively, NS). Tumor necrosis or production by leukocytes was higher in diabetics than in controls in basal conditions (53.3 ñ 15.3 and 26.9 ñ 14.7 arbitrary units (a.u.) respectively), when stimulated withnative LDL (46.5 ñ 5 and 24.3 ñ 9.4 a.u. respectively), when stimulated with malondialdehyde modified LDL (50 ñ 16.2 and 24.4 ñ 7.7 a.u. respectively) or when stimulated with glycated LDL (38.3 ñ 8.8 and 14.4 ñ 7.5 a.u. respectively). Conclusions: Diabetic patients have an enhanced immune response against low density lipoproteins, factor that could contribute to the accelared atherogenesis of this disease