Abstract
Background Serum total sialic acid (TSA) has been shown to be a strong cardiovascular risk factor with increased concentrations being associated with increased mortality. Serum TSA is also elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes including those with micro- and macrovascular complications. We wished, therefore, to test the hypothesis that serum TSA may be abnormal in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), in Fijian Melanesians.
Method Twenty-one subjects with IGT (17 women and four men) were recruited along with 20 subjects with IFG (14 women and six men) and 22 normal subjects (12 women and 10 men). Serum TSA was 2.18 +/- 0.027 mmol/L, 2.19 +/- 0.033 mmol/L and 2.24 +/- 0.042 mmol/L in the three groups, respectively, which was not statistically different. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were, however, higher in the IGT group compared with the IFG and normal groups (P < 0.04).
Conclusion Serum TSA is not elevated in Fijian Melanesians with IGT and IFG although it is reported to be elevated in type 2 diabetes mellitus in other populations. Further research is needed to establish why serum TSA is a potent independent cardiovascular risk factor and is elevated in type 2 diabetes mellitus in some populations.