title: [The concentration of carnitine in the last trimester of pregnancy subject to glucose tolerance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study the correlations between the concentration of carnitine and an increasing glucose intolerance in women with untreated, non insulin dependent gestational diabetes (GDM) were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  129 pregnant women were challenged with an oral 75 gm glucose load in the last trimester. Patients were assigned to five different groups with increasing glucose intolerance depending on the maximal glucose level after glucose challenge. Blood samples for measurement of free and acyl carnitine (spectrophotometric method) were taken prior to glucose evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In correlation with increasing glucose intolerance concentration of acyl carnitine rose from 3.43 +/- 1.62 micromol/l (normal glucose tolerance) to 4.62 +/- 1.93 micromol/l (gestational diabetes) while free carnitine decreased from 12.17 +/- 2.71 micromol/l to 11.52 +/- 2.90 micromol/l (p > 0.05). The quotient of acyl carnitine/free carnitine was significantly higher in women with GDM than in women with normal glucose tolerance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the high overlap of results, carnitine isn 't suitable for further differentiation of glucose metabolism or to evaluate the efficacy of therapy in non insulin dependent GDM.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum Frauenheilkunde, Abteilung I: Pränatalmedizin, Geburtshilfe und Allgemeine Gynäkologie, Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Günter
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peulecke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oehler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schumann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sohn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002331:Carnitine