title: Association of retinol binding protein 4 with risk of gestational diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated association of maternal retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) with risk of gestational diabetes (GDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  GDM cases (N=173) and controls (N=187) were selected from among participants of a cohort study of risk factors of pregnancy complications. Early pregnancy (16 weeks on average) serum RBP4 concentration was measured using an ELISA-based immunoassay. Logistic regression was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs/aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum RBP4 was significantly higher among GDM cases compared with controls (47.1 vs. 41.1 μg/ml, respectively; p-value <0.05). Participants in the highest quartile for serum RBP4 had a 1.89-fold higher risk of GDM compared with participants in the lowest quartile (95%CI: 1.05-3.43). However, this relationship did not reach statistical significance after adjustment for confounders (aOR: 1.54; 95%CI: 0.82-2.90). Women who were ≥35 years old and who had high RBP4 (≥38.3 μg/ml, the median) had a 2.31-fold higher risk of GDM compared with women who were <35 years old and had low RBP4 (<38.3 μg/ml) (aOR: 2.31; 95%CI: 1.26-4.23; p-value for interaction=0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, there is modest evidence of a positive association of early pregnancy elevated RBP4 concentration with increased GDM risk, particularly among women with advanced age.
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, United States. Dejene.Abetew@swedish.org
authors.forename: Dejene F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Abetew
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Neway G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Fida
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dishi
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hevner
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Enquobahrie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma