Conclusion
The relative abundance of the N-terminal arginine truncation of SAA1.1 is significantly decreased in diabetes and negatively correlates with measures of glycemic and lipid control.
Methods
Using mass spectrometric immunoassay, the abundance of SAA truncations relative to the native variants was examined in plasma of 91 participants with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease and 69 participants without diabetes.
Results
The ratio of SAA 1.1 (missing N-terminal arginine) to native SAA 1.1 was lower in diabetics compared to non-diabetics (p = 0.004), and in males compared to females (p<0.001). This ratio was negatively correlated with glycated hemoglobin (r = -0.32, p<0.001) and triglyceride concentrations (r = -0.37, p<0.001), and positively correlated with HDL cholesterol concentrations (r = 0.32, p<0.001).