This article is available online at http://www.jlr.org Supplementary key words lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 • peripheral blood mononuclear cell • type 2 diabetes Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA 2 ) has been consistently higher among type 2 diabetics than nondiabetics ( 1-3 ), and independently predicts incident T2D ( 4 ). However, little is known about the dietary treatment that may alter circulating Lp-PLA 2 activity levels. In a recent large cross-sectional study of men and women, the observation of an inverse association between protein intakes and circulating Lp-PLA 2 activity suggests that nutritional factors may have the potential to infl uence Lp-PLA 2 activity ( 5 ). Additionally, a small interventional study with low-calorie diet showed that an average 10 kg weight loss achieved over 4 months in healthy obese women was associated with a 10% decrease in Lp-PLA 2 activity ( 6 ). These recent studies ( 5, 6 ) suggest that diet may represent a potentially modifi able pathway through which Lp-PLA 2 activity can be altered. However, no study has examined the effects of dietary treatment on circulating Lp-PLA 2 activity in patients with T2D.According to the 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES V-1), carbohydrate-derived calories account for 65% of total caloric intake, and cooked refi ned rice is the major source of carbohydrates in middle-aged adults. Because of this high carbohydrate intake, Abstract To determine dietary effects on circulating lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA 2 ) activity and enzyme activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), 99 patients with impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or newly-diagnosed T2D were randomly assigned to either a control group (usual diet with refi ned rice) or the whole grain and legume group. Substitution of whole grains and legumes for refined rice was associated with the replacement of 7% of energy from carbohydrates with energy from protein (about 4%) and fat. After 12 weeks, the whole grain and legume group showed a signifi cant decrease in fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, hemoglobin A 1c , malondialdehyde, plasma Lp-PLA 2 activity, and oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), and an increase in LDL particle size. The changes ( ⌬ s) in these variables in the whole grain and legume group were signifi cantly different from those in controls after adjustment for the baseline levels. When all subjects were considered, ⌬ plasma Lp-PLA 2 positively correlated with ⌬ glucose, ⌬ PBMC Lp-PLA 2 , ⌬ ox-LDL, and ⌬ urinary 8-epiprostaglandin F 2 ␣ after being adjusted for confounding factors. The ⌬ PBMC Lp-PLA 2 correlated positively with ⌬ glucose and ⌬ ox-LDL, and negatively with ⌬ LDL particle size and baseline PBMC Lp-PLA 2 . The substitution of whole grains and legumes for refi ned rice resulted in a reduction in Lp-PLA 2 activities in plasma and PBMCs partly through improved glycemic control, increased consumption of protein relative to carbohydrate, an...