Serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein and remnant-like lipoprotein particle cholesterol in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease

Background Serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been suggested to be involved in the process of coronary heart disease (CHID) and to be potential markers and/or predictors of CHID. Remnant-like lipoprotein particles (RLPs), which are regarded as atherogenic remnant lipoprotein, are reported to be increased in type 2 diabetic patients. We assessed the association of CHD with SAA, CRP and RLP-cholesterol in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods One hundred and twenty-six diabetic patients without CHID and 41 patients with CHID were recruited from our hospital. Plasma SAA was measured by the latex agglutination nephelometric immunoassay. Plasma high-sensitivity CRP was measured by a latex immunoturbidity method. Plasma RLP-cholesterol was measured by an immunoabsorption enzyme method. Results The mean standard deviation values of RLP-cholesterol in patients with and without CHID were 0.22 (0.26) mmol/L and 0.15 (0.10) mmol/L, respectively (P<0.05). Median (interquartile ranges) for SAA in patients with and without CHID were 7.4 (4.2-11.2) mg/L and 3.9 (2.2-5.9) mg/L, respectively (P<0.001). Median (interquartile ranges) for CRP in patients with and without CHID was 1.14 (0.45-2.08) mg/L and 0.43 (0.19-1.25) mg/L, respectively (P<0.001). For all patients, the Spearman rank correlation statistics for RLP-cholesterol compared with SAA and with CRP were 0.213 (P<0.05) and 0.301 (P<0.01), respectively. Conclusion These data suggest that SAA, CRP and RLP-cholesterol are increased in type 2 diabetic patients with CHID, and that the inflammatory proteins correlate with remnant lipoprotein.