Maternal serum level of placental growth factor in diabetic pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) concentration at 11-14 weeks in pregnancies complicated by diabetes, including those with preexisting diabetes and those that developed gestational diabetes subsequently, differed from that in normal, uncomplicated pregnancies.


METHODS
PlGF concentration was measured in stored maternal serum samples obtained at 11-14 weeks of gestation from 82 women with diabetic pregnancies, including 32 with preexisting diabetes and 50 with gestational diabetes, and 400 normal controls. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed with the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and by applying World Health Organization criteria.


RESULTS
When expressed as the multiple of the median and adjusted for gestation, the log transformed values of PlGF were significantly higher (P < .05) in the diabetic group (mean multiple of the median, [MoM] 1.14; SD 0.11) as compared to the controls (mean MoM, 1.00; SD, 0.11). On further comparison between the diabetic groups with the controls, significant differences were found in the groups with gestational diabetes (mean MoM, 1.15; SD, 0.12) and non-insulin dependent diabetes (mean MoM, 1.16; SD, 0.09) but not in those complicated by insulin-dependent diabetes (mean MoM, 1.09; SD, 0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that in the first trimester of pregnancy the level of maternal PIGF was already significantly increased not only in pregnancies complicated by noninsulin dependent diabetes but also in those with gestational diabetes. The implications of these findings remain to be explored.
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. cytong@hkucc.hku.hk
Charas Y T
CY
Ong
Terence T
TT
Lao
Kevin
K
Spencer
Kypros H
KH
Nicolaides
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D012016:Reference Values
C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor