title: Correlation of maternal serum fetuin/alpha2-HS-glycoprotein concentration with maternal insulin resistance and anthropometric parameters of neonates in normal pregnancy and gestational diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human fetuin/alpha(2)-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) is a 49 kDa serum and tissue protein which is a natural inhibitor of insulin receptor signaling. We investigated serum AHSG levels during pregnancy and whether the protein is involved in insulin resistance observed in healthy pregnant women and patients with gestational diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and four healthy pregnant women and 23 of their neonates, 30 patients with gestational diabetes and their neonates and 30 healthy age-matched non-pregnant females as a control group were investigated in a case-control cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum AHSG was determined by radial immunodiffusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an increase of serum AHSG concentration in the second and third trimesters. Gestational diabetes patients had significantly higher AHSG levels than healthy pregnant women and non-pregnant controls. There was a highly significant positive correlation between serum AHSG concentration and indirect parameters of insulin resistance, i.e. tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), leptin, C-peptide and C-peptide/blood glucose ratio. There was also a negative correlation between maternal AHSG, TNF-alpha, leptin levels and head circumference, body length and body weight of newborns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AHSG, TNF-alpha and leptin may contribute to insulin resistance during normal pregnancy and gestational diabetes. AHSG along with these cytokines may also negatively regulate neonatal skeletal development.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary. kalasz@kut.sote.hu
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kalabay
authors.forename: Károly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cseh
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pajor
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baranyi
authors.forename: György M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Csákány
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Melczer
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Speer
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siller
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karádi
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winkler
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D002508:Cephalometry; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein
chemical_list: C556354:AHSG protein, human; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002096:C-Peptide; D020738:Leptin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein