Elevated serum acylated (biologically active) ghrelin and resistin levels associate with pregnancy-induced weight gain and insulin resistance

Aim: To study fasting biologically active serum ghrelin (RIA) and resistin (ELISA) levels in different trimesters of pregnancy (HP, n = 45 15 in each) and in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, n = 30) compared to non-pregnant healthy women (NP, n = 40) in correlation with TNF-alpha, soluble (s)TNF-receptor (R)-1, -2, leptin (ELISA), C-peptide (Cp, RIA) and Cp[blood glucose ratio (bg). Study design: Cross-sectional case control study. Results: Acylated ghrelin levels were significantly increased (p < 0.0001) in the 2nd (377 +/- 38 pg/ml,X +/- S.D.) and decreased in the 3rd trimester (252 36) and in GDM (226 21) compared to NP controls (309 20) and HP women in the 1st trimester (314 +/- 41). Serum resistin levels were higher in the 1st (8.5 +/- 2.6 ng/ml), 2nd (10.2 +/- 2. 1) and 3rd (13.1 +/- 3.6) trimesters of pregnancy and in GDM (15.7 +/- 3.5) than in NP controls (6.5 +/- 2.3). Significant (p < 0.01) negative linear correlations were found among fasting serum ghrelin and body mass index (13MI), the fasting C-peptide (Cp) level, C-peptide/blood glucose (Cp/bg) ratio, TNF-alpha, soluble (s)TNFR-2, leptin and resistin concentrations in both, HP and GDM groups. Significant positive correlations were observed between serum acylated ghrelin and adiponectin, and between BMI and fasting Cp, Cp1bg, TNF-alpha, sTNFR- 1, -2 and leptin levels in both pregnant groups. Conclusion: Increased fasting serum acylated ghrelin concentrations in the 2nd trimester may associate with weight gain during pregnancy. Hyperresistinen-iia may also be associated with the pregnancy-induced insulin resistance. A negative regulatory feedback mechanism between resistin, TNF-alpha and ghrelin may be hypothesized. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.