Clinical laboratory values during diabetic pregnancies.
BACKGROUND
Physiological pregnancy can affect routine laboratory tests, e.g., the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases above the reference range for healthy non-pregnant adults and little is known about whether diabetes and pregnancy together can cause additional changes that require monitoring of blood-tests.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in clinical chemistry and haematological laboratory test results during pregnancies of type 1 diabetics and to compare the results with changes during normal pregnancies.


METHODS
We studied 25 type 1 diabetic women with standard clinical chemistry and haematological blood-tests during pregnancy.


RESULTS
Haemoglobin, haematocrit, and erythrocyte number decreased until the 3rd trimester and leucocytes and platelets did not change significantly. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased by over 200%. Protein and albumin decreased until the 3rd trimester to below the reference range. Urea did not change, creatinine decreased and uric acid increased within the reference range. AST and ALT remained within the reference range. Alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase increased until above the reference range. Cholesterol and triglycerides increased until the third trimester above results from normal pregnancies.


CONCLUSIONS
A wide range of biochemistry and haematology laboratory values changed during diabetic pregnancy comparable to physiological pregnancies. No additional routine laboratory-testing during diabetic pregnancies compared with physiological pregnancies is required.
Pilsczek
F H
FH
Immunology Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary T2N 4N1, Alberta, Canada. f.h.pilsczek@gmail.com
Renn
W
W
Hardin
H
H
Schmülling
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests / Q000379:methods*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult