Analysis of serum lipid profile and apolipoprotein in patients with concurrent gallbladder stone disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population-based study in China

Abstract Background Gallbladder stone diseases being common disorder, prior studies have identified an association between gallstones and abnormal lipids, type 2 diabetics have higher rates of significant abnormalities in lipid metabolism, so the prevalence of dyslipidemia may be higher in gallstone disease patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than in the general population. The aim of this study was to compare the serum lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities between gallbladder stone patients who have T2DM and controls in China. Methods Retrospective analysis of serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels in patients aged 40 years and older with gallbladder stone combined with T2DM, T2DM, gallbladder stone and normal group of 407 individuals in four groups. 135 cases with gallbladder stones combined with T2DM were compared with 102 cases with T2DM, 119 cases with gallbladder stone and 51 normal individuals respectively among four groups. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), serum apolipoprotein (apo) AI (ApoAI), apolipoprotein (apo) B (ApoB) and their ratio (ApoAI/ApoB) were collected from the four groups and compared. One-way ANOVA and nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis tests) were used to compare groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Compared to three control groups, the patients over 40 years old with gallbladder stone combined with T2DM had significant abnormal changes in lipids: the LDL and APoB levels were significantly raised in patients with gallbladder stones combined with T2DM (P < 0.05), and in males LDL levels were significantly higher in gallbladder stones patients with concomitant T2DM (P < 0.05). Conclusions The study showed that LDL and APoB levels were statistically significant in patients over 40 years of age with concurrent gallbladder stone disease and T2DM, with male patients having significantly higher LDL levels but no statistically significant parameters were found in female patients.