INCREASED CHOLESTEROL EFFLUX FROM CULTURED FIBROBLASTS TO PLASMA FROM HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIC TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS: ROLES OF PRE β-HDL, PHOSPHOLIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN AND CHOLESTEROL ESTERIFICATION

ha pt er 5 70 We tested whether hypertriglyceridemia associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus is accompanied by alterations in pre β-HDL, which are considered to be initial acceptors of cell-derived cholesterol, and by changes in the ability of plasma to promote cellular cholesterol effl ux. In 28 hypertriglyceridemic and 56 normotriglyceridemic type 2 diabetic patients, and in 56 control subjects, we determined plasma lipids, HDL cholesterol and phospholipids, plasma pre β-HDL and pre β-HDL formation, phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) activity, plasma cholesterol esterifi cation (EST) and cholesteryl ester transfer (CET) and the ability of plasma to stimulate cholesterol effl ux out of cultured human fi broblasts. HDL cholesterol and HDL phospholipids were lower, whereas plasm