title: The changes of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in plasma and its expression in adipose tissue in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate plasma levels and the expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study recruited 260 Chinese women divided into three groups: 96 were healthy pregnant women with pre-pregnancy body mass index (pre-pregnancy BMI) below 25kg/m(2) (GROUP 1), 84 were women with GDM with pre-pregnancy BMI below 25kg/m(2) (GROUP 2) and 80 were women with GDM with pre-pregnancy BMI over 25kg/m(2) (GROUP 3). Laboratory and anthropometric measurements were recorded and NGAL plasma levels were determined by ELISA for subjects in all groups. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to assess the relative mRNA and protein expression of NGAL and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in SAT (30 cases in each group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results demonstrated statistically significant elevation in plasma NGAL concentrations in GROUP 2 and GROUP 3 compared with GROUP 1 (p<0.001 for both group comparisons). Moreover, SAT NGAL mRNA (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) and protein (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) expression levels were higher in GROUP 3 than in both GROUP 1 and GROUP 2. Correlations were noted between the plasma NGAL concentration and various parameters of insulin resistance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma NGAL may play a role in the development of insulin resistance in GDM, and the high levels of NGAL expression in SAT in overweight women with GDM suggests that NGAL in SAT is associated with obesity in women with GDM.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors: Yanqin
authors: Y
authors: Lou
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors: Chaoying
authors: C
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shenzhen Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Cui
authors: C
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shenzhen Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: louwin@126.com.
authors: Lirong
authors: L
authors: Ren
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012313:RNA
keywords: Adipose tissue; Gene expression; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin; Tumor necrosis factor-α