Relationship between metabolic control and plasma lipoprotein level in diabetic children.

All lipid and lipoprotein fractions except for total cholesterol were found to be high in diabetic children under long-term treatment. There was a positive correlation between HDL-cholesterol, HbA1a-c and the insulin dose. In untreated diabetic children, plasma triglyceride and its subfractions were also high, but phospholipids were normal. Total plasma cholesterol was normal, but its VLDL + LDL subfraction was increased and HDL-cholesterol low. After two months of insulin-treatment, parallel with the decrease of HbA1a-c, the HDL-cholesterol increased and there was a drop in the level of triglycerides. It is concluded that HDL-cholesterol is a good parameter of metabolic control during the initial therapy of diabetes. In patients under long-term treatment there is no such a simple relationship between control and HDL-cholesterol and the daily insulin-dose seems to play an important role in the regulation of plasma HDL-cholesterol.