HDL biology
CETP activity is 70% higher in smoking IDDM men than controls and 30% higher than nonsmoking IDDM men (Diabetes Care 1991)
Original title: Elevated cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity in IDDM men who smoke. Possible factor for unfavorable lipoprotein profile
To determine the effect of cigarette smoking on CETP activity and lipoprotein levels in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) men with microvascular complications, a case-control study compared 9 smoking and 12 nonsmoking IDDM men with microvascular complications and 12 nonsmoking control men. The HDL-cholesterol to VLDL-and-LDL-cholesterol ratio was lower in smoking diabetic men than the other groups (P < 0.05 versus nonsmoking diabetic men, P < 0.01 versus controls). CETP activity was 70% higher in smoking diabetic men than controls (P < 0.01) and 30% higher than in nonsmoking diabetic men (P < 0.05). The HDL-cholesterol to VLDL-and-LDL-cholesterol ratio and the apolipoprotein A-I to B ratio both correlated inversely with CETP activity (r = -0.52, P < 0.02 and r = -0.45, P < 0.05).
Original abstract
Objectives: To determine the effect of cigarette smoking on the activity of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and high-density (HDL), low-density (LDL), and very-low-density (VLDL) lipoproteins in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) men with microvascular complications.
Research Design And Methods: We performed a case-control study in a referral-based diabetes clinic on a sequential sample of 9 cigarette-smoking and 12 nonsmoking IDDM men with microvascular complications and 12 nonsmoking control men. CETP activity was determined in each serum with an isotope assay with exogenous cholesteryl ester-labeled LDL and HDL. The method is independent of the endogenous lipoprotein present in serum.
Results: The HDL-cholesterol (VLDL and LDL) ratio was lower in the smoking diabetic men than in the other groups (P less than 0.05 vs. the nonsmoking diabetic men and P less than 0.01 vs. the control subjects). CETP activity was 70% higher in the smoking diabetic men than in the control subjects (P less than 0.01) and 30% higher than in the nonsmoking diabetic men (P less than 0.05). The HDL-cholesterol (VLDL and LDL) ratio and the apolipoprotein A-I-B ratio were inversely correlated to CETP activity in the diabetic patients (r = -0.52, P less than 0.02 and r = -0.45, P less than 0.05, respectively).
Conclusions: CETP activity is increased in cigarette-smoking IDDM men with microvascular complications. High CETP activity may contribute to the unfavorable lipoprotein profile in these patients.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.