Link found between carbohydrate metabolism, IgM antioxidized LDL antibodies

Researchers have found an association between carbohydrate metabolism and immunoglobulin M antioxidized LDL antibodies that were reduced in morbidly obese patients with diabetes. An improvement in carbohydrate metabolism after bariatric surgery led to an increase in the immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antioxidized LDL antibodies.

Researchers measured changes in antioxidized LDL antibody levels in the inverse situation of improvement in carbohydrate metabolism. The study included 73 morbidly obese participants (21 had type 2 diabetes) before and after bariatric surgery and 11 nonobese participants.

There were higher levels of oxidized LDL antibodies among the morbidly obese patients with diabetes compared with the morbidly obese patients with normal fasting glucose and the control group, according to the researchers. The morbidly obese patients with diabetes had lower levels of IgM antioxidized LDL antibodies.

There was an inverse correlation between the levels of oxidized LDL and IgM antioxidized LDL antibodies (r=–0.352; P=.012). The AUC was the main factor explaining the behavior of the levels.

"Although the levels of IgG and IgM antioxidized LDL antibodies rose after surgery, this increase was only significant in the patients with diabetes, who experienced an improvement in their metabolic profile," the researchers wrote.

Diabetes Care. 2008;31:2258-2264.