The level of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL is not associated with the presence of coronary heart disease or diabetic kidney disease in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) may be an important factor in the development of diabetic macrovascular and renal complications. The level of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL (oxLDL-Ab) can be used as an index of LDL oxidation in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the level of oxLDL-Ab and the presence of coronary heart disease and renal dysfunction in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We determined the plasma levels of oxLDL-Ab in 46 NIDDM patients and 48 well matched nondiabetic control subjects. NIDDM patients had a moderately higher level of oxLDL-Ab than control subjects (0.083 +/- 0.051 vs. 0.062 +/- 0.045, p = 0.04). However, there was no difference in the level of oxLDL-Ab between subjects with and without coronary heart disease, and the level of oxLDL-Ab was not associated with indices of glomerular filtration rate or urinary albumin excretion.