Plasma glycosphingolipids in diabetics and normals.

In diabetic patients with hyperlipoproteinemia type IV the monohexosyl ceramide concentration in blood plasma is significantly elevated. This augmentation can be attributed to an increased monohexosyl ceramide content of the BLDL plasma fraction. In contrast, the di-, tri-, the tetrahexosyl ceramide levels remain within normal limits. In normolipidemic diabetics of comparable age, sex, and weight classes and of comparable metabolic control no elevations of glycolipid fractions could be found. However, patients with primary hyperlipoproteinemia type IV show an increase of monohexosyl ceramide concentrations in blood plasma. Therefore, the augmentation of monohexosyl ceramide levels in plasma of hyperlipidemic diabetic patients seems rather a metabolic consequence of hyperlipoproteinemia than of diabetes per se. A clearcut explantation for the monohexosyl ceramide elevations in the studied groups cannot be given at present time.