Abnormal lipoprotein-lipase-mediated plasma triglyceride removal in untreated diabetes mellitus associated with hypertriglyceridemia.

Hypertriglyceridemia is common in untreated diabetes mellitus. An abnormality in the interaction of lipoprotein lipase with endogenous circulating plasma lipoprotein triglyceride has been demonstrated in untreated diabetes. These diabetics have a decreased maximal removal capacity for plasma triglyceride (27.0 mg TG/kh/hr) and increased Km (390 mg/dl) for endogenous plasma triglyceride-lipoprotein lipase interaction compared to that found in nondiabetic hypertriglyceridemic subjects (Vmax, 32.0; km, 157). Diabetics treated for at least two months have a maximal removal capacity and Km similar to that of nondiabetic subjects (Vmax, 32.7; Km, 192). No evidence for an increase in triglyceride production due to diabetes per se was found. When diabetic subjects with triglyceride levels over 400 mg/dl were selected for study, most were found to have an independent familial form of hypertriglyceridemia.