title: Circulating interleukin-6 concentrations during and after gestational diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have shown that high interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion may aggravate insulin resistance in pregnancy and participate in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of GDM is associated with elevated IL-6 concentrations and whether this association remains after delivery, independent of body mass index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital-based.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven women were screened for GDM with a 75g oral glucose tolerance test at 26.1±3.7 weeks of pregnancy following the Canadian Diabetes Association guidelines (20 GDM, 27 control subjects).
  
  
  METHODS
  Interleukin-6 levels were measured by ELISA at the time of GDM screening and two months post-partum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interleukin-6 concentrations were significantly higher in women with GDM compared with control women at the time of GDM screening (1.47±0.72 vs. 0.90±0.32pg/mL, p≤0.01). Similar results were obtained two months post-partum, where IL-6 levels remained significantly higher in women with GDM compared with control women (1.88±0.85 vs. 1.41±0.87pg/mL, p≤0.05). Interleukin-6 concentrations were significantly correlated with the Matsuda insulin sensitivity index, measured at the two time points (r=-0.60, p≤0.01 and r=-0.34, p≤0.05). The Matsuda insulin sensitivity index was an independent and significant predictor of IL-6 concentrations at the time of GDM screening, explaining 35.6% of the variance (p≤0.0001) in this variable. IL-6 concentration measured at GDM screening was identified as an independent and significant predictor of post-partum IL-6 concentrations, explaining 28.6% of the variance (p≤0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that GDM is associated with elevated IL-6 levels independent of obesity levels, both during pregnancy and after delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada.
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Morisset
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dubé
authors.forename: Julie Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robitaille
authors.forename: S John
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Weisnagel
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tchernof
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6