Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in relation to Plasma Concentrations of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4: A Nested Case-Control Study in China

Objective. The study is aimed at examining the effects of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) on insulin resistance and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods. Based on a prospective birth cohort in Beijing, China, we conducted a nested case-control study and analyzed 135 GDM case-control pairs matched by age and the gestational week when they took the oral glucose tolerance test. We performed linear regression to analyze the association of plasma FABP4 concentrations with insulin resistance. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of FABP4 for GDM, controlling for potential confounders, including dietary intake and physical activity. Results. Plasma FABP4 levels in the first and second trimesters were positively associated with fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in the second trimester (both P<0.001). Compared with those in the lowest FABP4 tertile, women in the highest tertile of FABP4 levels in the first and second trimesters had 1.053 times (OR=2.053, 95% CI 1.091 to 3.863) and 1.447 times (OR=2.447, 95% CI 1.305 to 4.588) higher risk of developing GDM. Conclusions. Elevated FABP4 levels in the first and second trimesters were associated with a higher level of insulin resistance and greater GDM risk, indicating FABP4 might predict women with high risk of developing GDM.

Automated summary

The study found that elevated plasma FABP4 levels in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy were positively associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Therefore, FABP4 may serve as a potential marker for predicting women at high risk of developing GDM.