Increased concentrations of free fatty acids and glycerol and altered creatine kinase MM isoenzyme patterns in certain diabetic patients.

We report unusually high concentrations of free fatty acids and glycerol in sera of patients with adult-onset diabetes, and the accompanying alterations in creatine kinase isoenzyme MM patterns associated with such patients. The serum samples with increased free fatty acids also showed increased electrophoretic movement of the MM isoenzyme on cellulose acetate membranes. Fatty acid concentrations found in such samples averaged 9.88 +/- 5.65 (SD) meq/L and the average glycerol concentration was 153 +/- 115 (SD) mg/L. The serum glycerol concentrations correlated with those of the free fatty acids (r = 0.886, slope = 0.309, intercept = 4.76).