Raised plasma adiponectin levels in type 1 diabetic pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
Adiponectin has antidiabetic properties. Our aim was to determine plasma adiponectin levels during pregnancy and postpartum (PP), in women with type 1 diabetic mellitus (T1DM) and nondiabetic (ND) women.


METHODS
Fasting plasma adiponectin and leptin levels were measured in 20 ND and 19 T1DM women, at 20 and 30 weeks' gestation, and 9 months' PP. Insulin measurements were made in ND women.


RESULTS
In both groups, after accounting for body mass index (BMI), leptin levels increased during pregnancy (P < 0.01) and were significantly higher than PP (P < 0.001). However, no significant differences in leptin levels were noted between both groups at any stage (P = 0.46). Conversely, adiponectin levels were higher in T1DM at all stages of the study (P < 0.001). A significant fall in adiponectin levels was seen between 20 and 30 weeks' gestation in both groups (ND: P < 0.001; T1DM: P < 0.05); however, this decrease was attenuated in the T1DM group. Adiponectin levels PP were significantly higher than at 30 weeks (ND: P < 0.001; T1DM: P < 0.001). Furthermore, in T1DM, adiponectin appeared to correlate negatively with leptin, but only reached significance PP (r = -0.46, P < 0.001). In the ND group, adiponectin correlated negatively with both leptin (PP: r = -0.56, P < 0.0001) and insulin (P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher adiponectin levels were noted in T1DM throughout gestation compared to ND pregnancies, with no difference in leptin levels. The significance of these findings needs to be determined.
Randeva
Harpal S
HS
Molecular Medicine Group, Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, and Metabolic Unit, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, UK. hrandeva@bio.warwick.ac.uk
Vatish
Manu
M
Tan
Bee K
BK
Qureshi
Zubair
Z
Boovalingam
Padmabushan
P
Lewandowski
Krzysztof C
KC
O'Hare
Paul
P
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood*
D052242:Adiponectin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin