Gas chromatographic analysis of the fatty acid composition of the plasma lipids in normal and diabetic subjects.

Epidemiological, clinical-pathological, hormonal and nutritional studies during the last ten years indicate that disturbances of the lipid metabolism are important factors in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Increased serum lipid level, induced by nutritional and pathological conditions, is correlated with an increased frequency of atherosclerosis. In diabetic acidosis, hyperlipemia (1-3) with a pronounced increase of free fatty acids (FFA) (4) is regularly found. After treatment with insulin and diet a normal serum lipid level usually occurs in patients with diabetes of short duration, although isolated increase of FFA often is found (5). Even in well controlled diabetic patients an elevation of the serum lipids is often seen when the diabetes has lasted for some years. Adlersberg and co-workers (6) reported that diabetic patients with vascular complications had significantly higher serum lipid levels than did cases with uncomplicated diabetes or normal controls. Lowy and Barach (7) found that this augmentation of the lipids preceded the symptoms of vascular complications. In the present study a detailed analysis of the fatty acid composition of the different plasma lipid fractions in the postabsorbtive state was performed in seven diabetic patients and in eight healthy individuals used as controls.