Maternal serum and cord blood preptin levels in gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective: To assess preptin concentrations in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and in the cord blood of their fetuses. Study Design: In all, 31 pregnant women with GDM and 31 gestational age-matched healthy pregnant subjects participated. Maternal serum and cord blood preptin levels were measured with ELISA. The relationships between maternal serum and cord blood preptin levels, anthropometric and metabolic parameters were also assessed. Result: Maternal serum and cord blood preptin levels were found higher in patients with GDM compared with control pregnant women. Preptin concentration in maternal serum was positively correlated with maternal age, fasting insulin levels, 1-h blood glucose after glucose load and cord preptin concentrations at birth. However, relationships between maternal and/or cord serum preptin and fetal growth parameters at birth were not detected. Conclusion: Our results indicate that preptin concentrations increase in maternal serum of women with GDM. Preptin levels may provide a novel approach to identify women with GDM. Journal of Perinatology (2011) 31, 350-355; doi:10.1038/jp.2010.125; published online 16 December 2010