title: Sex hormone-binding globulin levels and obesity in women with gestational diabetes: relationship with infant birthweight.
abstract: Our objective was to determine whether sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and whether this association is independent of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI). The relationship between maternal SHBG concentrations and birthweight in the offspring was also examined. The study included 47 women (20 with GDM, 27 controls). GDM screening and fasting serum SHBG measurements were performed at 26.1 ± 3.7 weeks of pregnancy. A trend was observed for significantly lower SHBG concentrations in GDM patients (179 ± 36 vs. 195 ± 36 nmol/l, p ≤ 0.08). Prepregnancy BMI and BMI at the time of GDM screening were both correlated with SHBG concentrations (r = -0.49 and r =  -0.53, respectively; p ≤ 0.001). In multivariate regression analyses, only prepregnancy BMI or BMI at the time of GDM screening remained significant predictors of GDM risk [odds ratio (OR):1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.06-1.47, p ≤ 0.01 and OR:1.18, 95% CI:1.02-1.39, p ≤ 0.02] while SHBG level did not. On the other hand, 10.7% of the variance in birthweight was explained by SHBG concentrations (p ≤ 0.01) independent of the presence of GDM, parity, maternal age, maternal prepregnancy BMI, maternal height, and offspring sex. In conclusion, although SHBG concentration is not an independent predictor of GDM risk when obesity is considered, it is a significant predictor of infant birthweight independent of GDM and prepregnancy BMI.
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: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drolet
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; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009765:Obesity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin