Phospholipid transfer protein activity and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus

The plasma activity of phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP), which has multifaceted functions in lipoprotein metabolism and in inflammatory responses, is elevated in insulin resistant conditions. We determined the association of plasma PLTP activity with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Plasma PLTP activity was determined using a liposome vesicle-HDL system in 218 men without T2DM at baseline. We used logistic regression models to establish odds ratios (ORs) for incident T2DM. Twenty four men developed T2DM over 9.4-year follow-up. Plasma PLTP activity was higher in incident T2DM cases (p=0.009). We observed 82% higher odds for T2DM per 1-SD increase in PLTP activity. Multivariable modeling showed that the association of PLTP activity with T2DM was independent of clinical risk factors including age, and either the metabolic syndrome, individual metabolic syndrome components, total cholesterol, HOMA-IR or albuminuria (ORs ranging from 1.64 (95% CI 1.03-2.66) to 1.87 (1.19-3.010)). Elevated plasma PLTP activity may predict an increased risk of T2DM in men