The Association Between Subclinical Atherosclerosis Serum Markers and Oxidative DNA Damage in Normoglycemic Normotolerant Offspring of Diabetic Parents

Introduction

It has been shown that offspring of type 2 diabetic parents have a high risk for developing diabetes and atherosclerosis, but the exact mechanism is unclear. In the present study, the possible association between oxidative stress and subclinical atherosclerosis serum markers in this population was investigated.

Method

LDL/HDL ratio, triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), single-point insulin sensitivity estimator (SPISE) index, oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL), intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and E-selectin), as well as the marker of oxidative DNA damage were compared among 150 offspring of diabetic parents (90 normoglycemic and normotolerant offspring, 31 offspring with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and 29 offspring with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)), and 40 age-and sex-matched healthy control individuals. The control subjects were among individuals with no family history of diabetes.

Results

All three groups with diabetic parents, that is, norm-offspring, IFG, and IGT groups, had higher serum levels of Ox-LDL, ICAM-1, and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) than the controls. In the whole population, ICAM-1 correlated with Ox-LDL, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 8-OHdG, and Ox-LDL correlated with LDL/HDL, fasting plasma glucose, TyG index, and 8-OHdG after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI.

Conclusion

This study shows that subclinical atherosclerosis and oxidative DNA damage are present in normotolerant normoglycemic offspring of type 2 diabetic parents, and they progress with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance. Also, our results indicate that a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, ICAM-1, was directly correlated with the DNA damage marker, 8-OHdG.