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Biomedical subjects

P N Durrington

Publications and source records attributed to P N Durrington.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

LMNA, encoding lamin A/C, is mutated in partial lipodystrophy.

The lipodystrophies are a group of disorders characterized by the absence or reduction of subcutaneous adipose tissue. Partial lipodystrophy (PLD; MIM 151660) is an inherited condition in which a regional (trunk and limbs) loss of fat occurs during the peri-pubertal phase. Additionally, variable degrees of resistance to insulin action, together with a hyperlipidaemic state, may occur and simulate the metabolic features commonly associated with predisposition to atherosclerotic disease. The PLD locus has been mapped to chromosome 1q with no evidence of genetic heterogeneity. We, and others, have refined the location to a 5.3-cM interval between markers D1S305 and D1S1600 (refs 5, 6). Through a positional cloning approach we have identified five different missense mutations in LMNA among ten kindreds and three individuals with PLD. The protein product of LMNA is lamin A/C, which is a component of the nuclear envelope. Heterozygous mutations in LMNA have recently been identified in kindreds with the variant form of muscular dystrophy (MD) known as autosomal dominant Emery-Dreifuss MD (EDMD-AD; ref. 7) and dilated cardiomyopathy and conduction-system disease (CMD1A). As LMNA is ubiquitously expressed, the finding of site-specific amino acid substitutions in PLD, EDMD-AD and CMD1A reveals distinct functional domains of the lamin A/C protein required for the maintenance and integrity of different cell types.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Paraoxonase activity in two healthy populations with differing rates of coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: The rate of coronary heart disease is over three-fold greater in Belfast than in Toulouse and the excess risk cannot be totally explained by 'classical' risk factors such as total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, smoking, etc. DESIGN: The effect of the human serum paraoxonase (PON1) 192-genetic polymorphism on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations and on PON1 activity and concentration was investigated in 186 randomly selected healthy subjects from Toulouse and 165 from Belfast. RESULTS: The frequency of the R allele of PON1, which has been related to the risk of coronary heart disease, was significantly higher in Belfast (0.33) than in Toulouse (0.24; chi2 = 7.229, P = 0.0072). Subjects from Belfast also had significantly higher serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B, and significantly lower HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1, but these lipoprotein parameters were independent of the PON1 192-polymorphisms. PON1 activity towards paraoxon was significantly higher in the Belfast population than in Toulouse (median values: 179.7 vs. 129.4 nmol min-1 mL-1 serum, respectively; P < 0.05), which is consistent with our finding of a greater prevalence of the R allele. The median serum concentration of PON1 was 56.3 microgram mL-1 in Belfast, which was significantly lower (P < 0.005) than the level of 71 microgram mL-1 in Toulouse. CONCLUSIONS: Our results thus provide further support for the hypothesis that populations at increased CHD risk have diminished serum PON1 concentration and an increased prevalence of the R allele of PON1. They are also consistent with reports that the ability of PON1 to hydrolyse paraoxon is inversely related to its capacity to hydrolyse lipid-peroxides, and thus to its antiatherogenic action.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Apolipoproteins A-I, A-II and B, lipoprotein(a) and the risk of ischaemic heart disease: the Caerphilly study.

Apolipoproteins B, A-I and Lp(a) have been proposed as independent predictors of subsequent ischaemic heart disease (IHD) improving on the prediction obtained by routine lipid measurements. In this report we have investigated the relative predictive ability of apolipoproteins and plasma lipids in a prospective study of middle aged men. 2398 men aged 49-65 years from the general population of Caerphilly, South Wales, UK were screened for evidence of IHD. After an overnight fast 2225 men each provided a venous blood sample on which plasma lipids, apolipoproteins B, A-I, A-II, and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) were measured. Over a follow-up period of nearly 9 years, 282 (12%) men developed major IHD. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for standard cardiovascular risk factors other than lipids there was a strong trend (standardised relative odds (SRO) = 1.20; P = 0.009) for incidence of IHD to increase with apolipoprotein B. However, on further adjusting for total cholesterol this trend largely disappeared (SRO = 1.05; P = 0.57). Similarly, a trend for incidence of IHD to increase with decreasing apolipoprotein A-I (SRO = 1.18; P = 0.02) disappeared when HDL cholesterol was added to the model. Levels of apolipoprotein A-II were not related to risk of subsequent IHD. Incidence of IHD was effectively constant over nearly 90% of the range of Lp(a). Only among the 5% of men with Lp(a) greater than 70 mg dL-1 was the risk of IHD significantly (P = 0.04) greater than among men with Lp(a) less than 10 mg dL-1. Apolipoproteins B and A-I do not improve on the prediction of risk of IHD provided by total and HDL cholesterol, respectively. Apolipoprotein A-II was not related to risk of IHD. Lp(a) may be independently associated with incident IHD among the 5-10% of men with the highest levels.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗
PubMed2000

How high-density lipoprotein protects against the effects of lipid peroxidation.

The protective effect of HDL against the development of atherosclerosis appears to be multifaceted involving a number of mechanisms. One of the major mechanisms is, however, the ability of HDL to decrease, directly or indirectly, the lipid peroxidation of LDL. The hydrolysis of lipid peroxides by PON1 makes a major contribution to this effect of HDL. Evidence is accumulating that the PON1 activity of human serum can be modulated by a variety of natural compounds and that these may increase or decrease the protective ability of PON1 and therefore of HDL on which it is exclusively located. Modulations of PON1 that enhance its activity may help to delay the atherosclerotic process.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Low paraoxonase activity in type II diabetes mellitus complicated by retinopathy.

Human serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is located on high-density lipoprotein and has been implicated in the detoxification of organophosphates, and possibly in the prevention of lipid peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein. PON1 has two genetic polymorphisms, both due to amino acid substitutions: one involving glutamine (Q genotype) and arginine (R genotype) at position 192, and the other involving leucine (L genotype) and methionine (M genotype) at position 55. We investigated the effects of these polymorphisms, and of a polymorphism of the PON2 gene at position 310 (Cys/Ser; C and S genotypes respectively), on serum PON1 activity and concentration, plasma lipids and lipoproteins and glycaemic control in 93 individuals with type II diabetes with no complications and in 101 individuals with type II diabetes with retinopathy. Serum PON1 activity in the group with no complications [median 164.1 nmol.min(-1).ml(-1) (range 8.0-467.8)] was significantly higher than in the group with retinopathy [113.4 nmol. min(-1).ml(-1) (3.0-414.6)] (P<0.001), but the serum PON1 concentration was not different between the groups. The gene frequencies of the PON1-55 and PON1-192 polymorphisms and of the PON2-310 polymorphism were not different between the study populations. The PON1-55 and PON1-192 polymorphisms affected PON1 activity in the way described in a previous study of a control group and subjects with type II diabetes. The PON2-310 polymorphism also significantly affected serum PON1. PON1 activity was significantly higher in individuals with the PON2-310 CC genotype in both groups with type II diabetes, and the PON1 concentration was significantly higher in PON2-310 CC homozygotes with no complications than in the group with retinopathy. Neither the PON1-55 nor the PON1-192 polymorphism was correlated with the serum lipid or lipoprotein concentration in either group. In the group with retinopathy (but not the group with no complications), all three PON polymorphisms were correlated with glycaemic control, which was worse for the PON1-55 genotypes in the order MM>LM>LL (P=0.0032), for the PON1-192 genotypes in the order RR>QR>QQ (P=0.011) and for the PON2-310 genotypes in the order CC>CS>SS (P=0.010). Low serum PON1 activity in retinopathy may be related to an increased tendency for lipid peroxidation. Our findings thus raise the possibility that, in retinopathy, the PON2 gene may influence PON1, and that an inter-relationship between the PON1 and PON2 genes may influence glycaemic control in subjects with type II diabetes complicated by retinopathy.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Low serum paraoxonase: a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease?

Serum paraoxonase (PON1) hydrolyses organophosphate (OP) insecticides and nerve gases and is responsible for determining the selective toxicity of these compounds in mammals. PON1 has two genetic polymorphisms giving rise to amino acid substitutions at position 55 and 192. The 192 polymorphism is the major determinant of the PON1 activity polymorphism towards organophosphates. However, the 55 polymorphism also modulates activity. PON1 also may be a determinant of resistance to the development of atherosclerosis by protecting lipoproteins against oxidative modification perhaps by hydrolysing phospholipid-hydroperoxides. The PON1 polymorphisms are important in determining the capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to protect low-density lipoprotein (LDL) against oxidative modification in vitro and this may explain the relationship between the PON1 alleles and coronary heart disease in case-control studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Indications for cholesterol-lowering medication: comparison of risk-assessment methods.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for the prescription of lipid-lowering drugs emphasise the importance of an assessment of absolute coronary heart disease (CHD) risk based on all risk factors, rather than simply the serum cholesterol concentration. If, however, the methods recommended for risk assessment are inaccurate, recommended prescribing will not occur. We compared several sets of guidelines for such treatment in a series of patients referred to a lipid clinic, to assess the difference in degree of risk of CHD at which lipid-lowering medication is recommended by each set of guidelines. METHODS: For a series of 570 patients (50% men) without pre-existing clinical evidence of atherosclerosis referred to a lipid clinic, we compared the algorithms, charts, and tables used by the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), the joint guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology, the European Atherosclerosis Society, and the European Society of Hypertension, and the report of the UK Standing Medical Advisory Committee with the Framingham risk equation programmed into a computer. FINDINGS: In 386 patients for whom the NCEP and UK guidelines could be compared, 62% of the men and 72% of the women met NCEP criteria for lipid-lowering medication, whereas only 9% of the men and less than 1% of the women met the UK criteria. The Framingham equation estimated a CHD risk of more than 3% per year in 22% of the men and 7% of the women, which shows that the UK tables underestimated CHD risk. European guidelines could be applied to only 261 patients, and were reasonably accurate in assessment of a CHD risk of 2% per year. INTERPRETATION: Guidelines for the use of statin treatment in patients with CHD differ in their assessment of CHD risk. The method of risk assessment recommended in future guidelines for CHD prevention should be critically tested in relevant groups of patients.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1999

Susceptibility of low- and high-density lipoproteins from diabetic subjects to in vitro oxidative modification.

AIMS: To investigate the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation of both low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) is important in the development of atherosclerosis. METHODS: We have investigated whether LDL and HDL from patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM, n = 16) and Type 2 DM (n = 15) is more susceptible to Cu2+ -induced lipid peroxidation than LDL and HDL from a similar number of nondiabetic controls matched for age, gender and serum cholesterol. RESULTS: The vitamin E content of LDL and HDL from both groups of diabetic patients was not significantly different from controls. The LDL from Type 2 diabetic patients and HDL from both diabetic groups were significantly richer in triglyceride than controls. Phospholipid was decreased in LDL from Type 2 diabetic patients and protein was decreased in HDL in Type 1 DM, but otherwise the composition of LDL and HDL in diabetic subjects was similar to controls. No significant differences were observed in the generation of conjugated dienes or lipid peroxides in either LDL or HDL when the two groups were compared with each other or with their respective controls. CONCLUSIONS: Increased lipid peroxidation occurring in vivo in diabetes is unlikely to be the result of increased susceptibility of lipoproteins to lipid peroxidation, but rather to increased generation of free radicals, to oxidation of lipids other than those present in serum lipoproteins or to decreases in antioxidant systems other than the fat-soluble antioxidants present in lipoproteins.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Diabetic dyslipidaemia.

The risk of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis is increased in both Type 2 and Type I diabetes mellitus. The dyslipidaemia of Type 2 diabetes consists of hypertriglyceridaemia and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In Type I diabetes, hypertriglyceridaemia is also present, but when glycaemic control is good, HDL cholesterol levels may be normal or even increased. In both types of diabetes, nephropathy is associated with an exacerbation of hypertriglyceridaemia, a decline in HDL cholesterol level and an increase in serum cholesterol. In the absence of nephropathy, serum cholesterol levels are typically similar to those of the background non-diabetic population. The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) associated with serum cholesterol is, however, considerably higher in diabetics than in non-diabetic people, and is much less in diabetic populations living in countries where the average cholesterol level is low, even when hypertension is present. Currently, the strongest evidence that lipid-lowering drug therapy will decrease the risk of CHD, particularly in secondary prevention, comes from trials of statins that lower cholesterol. There is growing experimental and observational evidence that hypertriglyceridaemia, because of its effects on cholesteryl ester transfer, leading to the formation of a small low-density lipoprotein susceptible to oxidation, compounds the risk of serum cholesterol in diabetes. Both fibrates and statins can decrease this cholesteryl ester transfer. Further studies of fibrates with clinical end-points should clarify their role in the prevention of CHD. In the meantime, statins should be part of routine diabetic clinical practice, fibrates having a more limited role when hypertriglyceridaemia is extreme.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗
PubMed1999

Serum paraoxonase after myocardial infarction.

HDL has been shown to prevent the oxidative modification of LDL. The antioxidant activity of HDL is believed to reside in its enzymes, particularly paraoxonase. Human serum paraoxonase (PON1) is closely associated with a specific HDL subfraction also containing apoA1 and clusterin. Recently PON1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We have examined the activity, concentration, and specific activity of PON1 in 50 patients on admission to hospital immediately after acute myocardial infarction (MI) and in 48 age- and gender-matched controls. Serum PON1 activity and concentration were significantly lower in patients with MI than in controls (activity, 221.5 [99.3 to 303.2] nmol. min-1. mL-1 in controls and 130.1 [78.9 to 230.3] nmol. min-1. mL-1 in MI patients [P<0.05]; concentration, 95.7 [73.2 to 135.5] microg/mL in controls and 35.4 [21.6 to 51.3] microg/mL in MI patients [P<0.001]). PON1-specific activity was significantly higher in patients with MI than in controls (1.5 [0.9 to 2.9] versus 3.4 [2.0 to 8.5] nmol. min-1. microg-1 [P<0.001]) due to the much lower PON1 concentration. PON1 activity had risen significantly (P<0.05) to 158.1 (85.4 to 282.0) nmol. min-1. mL-1 at day 42 but was still significantly less than that of controls. No significant variation in PON1 concentration occured in the days after MI or at 6 weeks. Also, no significant variation in specific activity was seen after MI. When the patients were divided into subgroups based on whether or not they received thrombolytic therapy on admission to hospital, no significant difference in PON1 levels was observed. Serum HDL cholesterol in patients with MI on admission was not significantly different than in controls, and the decrease that occurred by the fifth day after MI did not explain the lower PON1 levels. We conclude that low serum PON1 activity in patients with MI may be a consequence of the coronary event itself or could have been present before MI. The low PON1 activity was also not explicable on the basis of PON1 genotypes because the prevalence of genotypes associated with low activity was not sufficient to explain fully the difference in activity levels between patients and controls. The explanation for the low PON1 activity was most likely a decrease in serum PON1 concentration. The importance of PON1 as a predictive risk factor for MI should be assessed in future studies.

Aryldialkylphosphatase↗
PubMed1998

Lack of protection against oxidative modification of LDL by avian HDL.

Human and murine high density lipoprotein (HDL) has previously been shown to decrease the accumulation of lipid peroxides on low density lipoprotein (LDL) under oxidising conditions. Several lines of evidence, including the ineffectiveness of HDL from paraoxonase knockout mice, suggest that paraoxonase (PON1) located on HDL is responsible for its protective effect against lipid peroxidation. In this report we compare the effect of HDL from chicken, turkey and ostrich with human HDL on lipid peroxidation of LDL. Avian serum lacked PON1 activity and PON1 immunoactivity was also absent by ELISA and Western blotting whereas all three techniques detected PON1 in a variety of non-avian species (cow, guinea-pig, rat, sheep, mouse, hamster, monkey and rabbit). Platelet activating factor acetyl hydrolase (PAFAH) activity was also absent from avian serum. Avian HDL isolated from plasma when incubated with human LDL was ineffective in preventing the Cu2+-induced accumulation of lipid peroxides on this lipoprotein whereas human HDL under the same conditions was highly effective in this respect. Avian LDL was much more resistant to oxidation than human LDL, perhaps explaining the lack of HDL-PON1 and PAFAH. We conclude that these findings provide further evidence than PON1 has an important role in the antiatherogenic/anti-inflammatory effects of HDL and that avian HDL can provide a valuable model which complements the use of HDL from paraoxonase knockout mice in the investigation of PON1 and PAFAH.

1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase↗
PubMed1998

Effect of the human serum paraoxonase 55 and 192 genetic polymorphisms on the protection by high density lipoprotein against low density lipoprotein oxidative modification.

Human serum paraoxonase (PON1) associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) has been postulated to have a role in protecting low density lipoprotein (LDL) against oxidative modification, which has led to the proposal that PON1 is an anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory enzyme. PON1 has two genetically determined polymorphic sites giving rise to amino-acid substitutions at positions 55 (L-->M) and 192 (R-->Q) and therefore 4 potential alloenzymes. We have examined the effects of these molecular polymorphisms on the ability of HDL to protect LDL from oxidative modification. HDL protected LDL from oxidative modification, whatever the combination of PON1 alloenzymes present in it. However, HDL from QQ/MM homozygotes was most effective at protecting LDL while HDL from RR/LL homozygotes was least effective. Thus after 6 h of co-incubation of HDL and LDL with Cu2+ PON1-QQ HDL retained 57 +/- 6.3% of its original ability to protect LDL from oxidative modification, while PON1-QR HDL retained less at 25.1 +/- 4.5% (P < 0.01) and PON1-RR HDL retained only 0.75 +/- 0.40% (P < 0.005). In similar experiments HDL from LL and LM genotypes retained 21.8 +/- 7.5% and 29.5 +/- 6.6% (P = NS), respectively, of their protective ability, whereas PON1-MM HDL maintained 49.5 +/- 5.3% (P < 0.01). PON1 polymorphisms may affect the ability of HDL to impede the development of atherosclerosis and to prevent inflammation.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effects of two different fibric acid derivatives on lipoproteins, cholesteryl ester transfer, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor and paraoxonase activity in type IIb hyperlipoproteinaemia.

We have investigated the effects of two fibric acid derivatives, bezafibrate mono (400 mg daily) and gemfibrozil (600 mg b.d.), in 29 patients with type IIb hyperlipoproteinaemia. All patients received placebo and each drug for 8 weeks in randomised order in a double-blind, cross-over study designed to evaluate any different effects of the drugs on serum lipoproteins, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), cholesteryl ester transfer activity (CETA), plasma fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-I (PAI-1) or paraoxonase. Serum cholesterol decreased (P < 0.05) with gemfibrozil, but the effect of bezafibrate on serum cholesterol did not achieve statistical significance (placebo 8.34 +/- 1.05 (mean +/- S.D.), gemfibrozil 7.70 +/- 1.23 and bezafibrate 7.8 +/- 1.37 mmol/l). Both drugs decreased the serum triglyceride concentration (both P < 0.001) (placebo 4.39 (3.13-5.75) (median (interquartile range)), bezafibrate 2.26 (1.89-3.89) and gemfibrozil 2.00 (1.30-3.30) mmol/l) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol (both P < 0.001) (placebo 1.18 (0.74-2.30), bezafibrate 0.59 (0.34-0.85) and gemfibrozil 0.48 (0.34-0.68) mmol/l). Discontinuous gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) revealed that Sf 60-400 (large VLDL) decreased by more than 50% and Sf 20-60 (small VLDL) by more than 30% with each of the drugs (both P < 0.001), neither of which affected the composition of these lipoproteins. Gemfibrozil decreased the concentration of Sf 12-20 lipoprotein (intermediate density lipoprotein; IDL) by 23% (P < 0.01), whereas the effect of bezafibrate on this lipoprotein did not achieve statistical significance. Neither drug altered the concentration of apolipoprotein B or of total Sf 0-12 lipoproteins (low density lipoprotein, (LDL)). Both, however, significantly increased the quantity of free cholesterol in Sf 0-12 lipoproteins (P < 0.05). Overall the concentration of triglycerides decreased significantly in all lipoproteins isolated by DGU (Sf 0-12, Sf 12-20, Sf 20-60, Sf 60-400) on gemfibrozil treatment, but only in Sf 20-60 and Sf 60-400 on bezafibrate (all P < 0.05). Both drugs also increased serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (placebo 1.15 +/- 0.29, bezafibrate 1.27 +/- 0.38 (P < 0.01) and gemfibrozil 1.26 +/- 0.49 (P < 0.05) mmol/l) and HDL3 cholesterol concentration (placebo 0.59 +/- 0.12, bezafibrate 0.72 +/- 0.23 (P < 0.001) and gemfibrozil 0.70 +/- 0.24 (P < 0.01) mmol/l). Serum apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1) was increased (P < 0.05) by bezafibrate compared to gemfibrozil (placebo 103 +/- 26, bezafibrate 111 +/- 28 and gemfibrozil 102 +/- 25 mg/dl) and CETA from HDL to VLDL and LDL was decreased (P < 0.05) by bezafibrate compared to placebo, but the apparent decrease with gemfibrozil did not achieve statistical significance (placebo 39.6 +/- 17.7, bezafibrate 32.3 +/- 14.7 and gemfibrozil 33.8 +/- 15.0 nmol/ml/h). Neither drug affected the circulating concentration of CETP. Plasma fibrinogen was increased (P < 0.05) by gemfibrozil (placebo 4.16 (3.38-4.71) and gemfibrozil 4.65 (4.05-5.77) g/l) and was significantly lower (P < 0.001) on bezafibrate (3.60 (3.18-4.54) g/l) than on gemfibrozil treatment. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in PAI-1 activity with bezafibrate and a similar trend with gemfibrozil (placebo 41.2 (25.6-64.5), bezafibrate 50.5 (35.1-73.9) and gemfibrozil 48.5 (31.5-5.4 U/l). Neither fibrate influenced plasma concentrations of PAI-1 nor were the activities of lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase or paraoxonase affected. The major difference in the action of the two drugs on lipoprotein metabolism was the greater effect of gemfibrozil in decreasing the overall serum concentration of Sf 12-20 lipoproteins and the triglycerides in Sf 12-20 and 0-12 lipoproteins. Bezafibrate, however, increased serum apo A1 concentration and significantly decreased CETA. The two drugs also had different effects on the plasma fibrinogen levels, which increased with gemfibrozil and tended to decrea

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Serum paraoxonase (PON1) 55 and 192 polymorphism and paraoxonase activity and concentration in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Human serum paraoxonase (PON1) is located on high density lipoprotein and has been implicated in the detoxification of organophosphates and possibly in the prevention of low density lipoprotein lipid peroxidation. PON1 has two genetic polymorphisms both due to amino acid substitution, one involving glutamine (A genotype) and arginine (B genotype) at position 192 and the other leucine (L genotype) and methionine (M genotype) at position 55. We investigated the effect of these polymorphisms on serum PON1 activity and concentration in 252 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) individuals and 282 non-diabetic controls. Serum PON1 activity in the controls (214.6 nmol/min per ml (26.3-620.8)) was significantly higher than in NIDDM (158.7 nmol/min per ml (3.6-550.5) (P < 0.001) as was serum PON1 concentration (89.1 microg/ml (16.8-527.4)) compared to 76.7 microg/ml (3.6-443.8) (P < 0.01). In the control population MM homozygotes had significantly lower serum PON1 activity regardless of the 192 polymorphism whereas in NIDDM both LM and MM genotypes had lower serum PON1 activity than LL homozygotes only when the 192 AA genotype was present. Serum PON1 concentration was lower in NIDDM with AA/LM, AA/LL, AB/LL and AB/MM genotypes than in controls. Differences in PON1 activity were the major cause of differences in specific activity between genotypes. Neither the PON1 55 or 192 polymorphisms consistently influenced the serum lipid or lipoprotein concentrations in either population. Low serum PON1 activity in NIDDM may be related to an increased tendency to lipid peroxidation and may also increase susceptibility to toxicity from organophosphate exposure. Our findings thus raise the possibility that PON1 may be of importance in both the genetic and acquired predisposition to premature atherosclerosis and neuropathy in diabetes.

Adult↗