Serum adiponectin during pregnancy and postpartum in women with gestational diabetes and normal controls.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate changes in serum adiponectin during pregnancy and postpartum and assess its relationship with insulin resistance as measured by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).


METHODS
Twenty-two normal pregnant women were compared with 22 women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Serum adiponectin levels were measured at the time of the glucose challenge test as well as in the immediate postpartum period and the correlation of adiponectin to HOMA-IR was performed.


RESULTS
Adiponectin was significantly lower in women with GDM than in controls during pregnancy (5381 vs. 8449 ng/dl, p = 0.004), as well as postpartum (3278 vs. 6958 ng/ml, p = 0.002). A significant reduction in adiponectin (3278 vs. 5381 ng/ml, p = 0.002) was observed postpartum in GDM women but not in controls. Using a lower cut-off value of 5253 ng/ml, maternal adiponectin could exclude GDM with a sensitivity of 86.4% and a specificity of 59.1% (area under the curve = 0.752, standard error = 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.601-0.903, p = 0.004). Adiponectin levels during pregnancy were negatively correlated with HOMA-IR (r = -0.375, p = 0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
GDM is associated with decreased serum adiponectin levels both in pregnancy as well as postpartum. Adiponectin is negatively correlated to HOMA-IR. A reduction in maternal adiponectin after delivery indicates a significant placental contribution to adiponectin production.
Vitoratos
Nikolaos
N
Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieion University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Deliveliotou
Aikaterini
A
Vlahos
Nikos F
NF
Mastorakos
George
G
Papadias
Konstantinos
K
Botsis
Dimitrios
D
Creatsas
George K
GK
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood
D052242:Adiponectin