Relationship of pentraxin 3 with insulin sensitivity in gestational diabetes

Background Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a cytokine-inducible molecule expressed in different tissues, the levels of which increase in a response to a variety of inflammatory conditions. Recently, it has been linked to the serum glucose levels and some comorbidities in type 2 diabetes. Materials and methods Here, we aimed to investigate the role of PTX3 in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which is considered a forerunner of type 2 diabetes. Fasting PTX3 serum levels were measured in 90 women [45 GDM, 45 normal glucose tolerance (NGT)] during pregnancy. In addition, PTX3 was measured during a 2h, 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 20 women (10 GDM, 10 NGT) at 2428weeks of gestation and in 16 of them after delivery (10GDM, 6 NGT). Results A continuous increase in PTX3 levels was observed during the OGTT and reached in the GDM group a significant difference after 120min compared with baseline (P<0 center dot 05). Additionally, a rise in the PTX3 concentration was significantly higher in the GDM- compared with the NGT group, 120min after glucose challenge (P<0 center dot 01). During pregnancy, serum glucose and C-peptide were positively correlated with the PTX3 levels in the whole study group, whereas a negative association was found with the insulin sensitivity parameters QUICKI and OGIS. Conclusions Dependence of PTX3 on serum glucose levels was more pronounced in women with GDM than in the NGT group. This notion together with its inverse relation to the parameters of insulin sensitivity, suggests a potential involvement of PTX3 in GDM pathology.