Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The association between CRP and prediabetes has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of the study was to determine the association of prediabetes with subclinical inflammation, as well as to examine the correlation of sensitive CRP (hsCRP) with fasting glycemia and 2 h glycemia during exercise during the OGTT test.

Methods: The study included 106 patients with angiographically diagnosed coronary artery disease, who, based on the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), were classified into a group with type 2 diabetes (T2D, n=34), a group with impaired glycemia and glucose intolerance (IFG/IGT, n=38) and a group with normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n=34). The control group consisted of subjects with normal glucose tolerance and no coronary disease (n=100), individually matched by age and body mass index (BMI) with coronary patients included in the study. The circulating level of lipids, insulin, hsCRP, the albumin level in the morning urine sample, and the insulin resistance index HOMA were determined in all of them.

Results: The level of hsCRP was elevated in the group of coronary patients with diabetes (P<0.05), as well as in the group of patients with prediabetes (P<0.05), compared to the control group. hsCRP values were not significantly different in coronary patients, regardless of glycemic status (P>0.05). A significant correlation of hsCRP with glycemia in 120 min OGTT test was found. (P<0.05), independent of existing obesity.

Conclusion: Chronic subclinical inflammation, detected by an elevated level of C-reactive protein, is more strongly associated with post load glycemia than with fasting glycemia. Prediabetes leads to an increase in markers of subclinical inflammation, which is associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Key words: C-reactive protein, hyperglycemia, prediabetes, coronary disease