title: Decreased maternal and placental concentrations of follistatin-like 3 in gestational diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to determine maternal and placental concentrations of follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3), and, maternal concentrations of myostatin in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  40 women with GDM of term pregnancy were recruited and 40 maternal age- and gestational age-matched normally pregnant women served as control. Maternal blood samples and placental tissues were collected. Maternal concentrations of FSTL3 and myostatin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and, placental concentrations of FSTL3 by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with GDM had significantly lower serum FSTL3 concentrations than controls (P=0.001). Placental concentrations of FSTL3 were significantly lower in GDM group than in controls (P<0.001). Women with GDM had significantly higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) than control women (P=0.042 and <0.01, respectively). Maternal serum myostatin was not significantly different between GDM and control groups (P=0.312).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal and placental FSTL3 concentrations were reduced in GDM women compared with normally pregnant women, suggesting FSTL3 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes.
authors: Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, China.
authors: Dongxiao
authors: D
authors: Hu
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Tian
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Guo
authors: Hanzhi
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Danqing
authors: D
authors: Chen
authors: Minyue
authors: M
authors: Dong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D038702:Follistatin-Related Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D038702:Follistatin-Related Proteins