Aims/hypothesis Glycoxidised LDL has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, a major complication of diabetes. Since atherogenesis may occur at an early stage of diabetes, we investigated whether circulating LDL isolated from subjects with IGT (n=20) showed an increased glycoxidation status and explored the proatherogenic effects of LDL samples on macrophages. Subjects and methods We investigated LDL modifications using GC-MS. Murine macrophages were incubated with LDL samples for 1 h, and then mRNA expression rates of the scavenger receptors CD36 and scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1, formerly known as SR-BI) and transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor γ (PPARγ) were quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Results The GC-MS experiments revealed that oxidative modifications of proline, arginine, lysine and tyrosine residues in apolipoprotein B100 were three-to fivefold higher in LDL samples from IGT subjects compared with those from NGT subjects (n=20). Moreover, LDL glycoxidation estimated by both N " -(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and N " -(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) residues was increased more than ninefold in LDL from IGT subjects compared with samples from NGT subjects. Compared with NGT LDL, IGT LDL elicited a significantly higher CD36 ( p<0.05) and PPARG ( p<0.05) gene expression, whereas SCARB1 mRNA expression was not affected. Conclusions/interpretation These data suggest that IGT is associated with increased glycoxidation of circulating LDL, which might contribute to the conversion of macrophages into a proatherogenic phenotype.