title: Decreased plasma chemerin levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate fasting and post-prandial serum chemerin levels in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes, and again following delivery when normal glucose homeostasis is re-established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chemerin levels were measured in serum from nine women with gestational diabetes, and from eight age- and BMI-matched pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance during two meal tests: in the third trimester and 3-4 months post partum. All women with gestational diabetes re-established normal glucose tolerance after delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meal intake did not affect serum chemerin levels. The group with gestational diabetes had lower mean serum chemerin levels during the third trimester compared with the group with normal glucose tolerance (28 ± 1.3 vs. 88 ± 3.5 ng/ml, P < 0.0001). In the group with normal glucose tolerance, mean serum chemerin levels decreased significantly post partum to 57 ± 2.8 ng/ml (P = 0.0001), but remained significantly (P = 0.0003) higher than post-partum levels in the group with gestational diabetes (31 ± 1.9 ng/ml), which did not differ significantly from third trimester levels (P = 0.31).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal pregnancy is associated with increased circulating chemerin levels, which may act to reduce pregnancy-induced insulin resistance and prevent glucose intolerance. Women with gestational diabetes, however, have severely reduced chemerin levels that remain low after delivery, which may contribute to the insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and high type 2 diabetes risk associated with gestational diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Division, Department of Medicine, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hare
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonde
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Svare
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Randeva
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asmar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vilsbøll
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Knop
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D049590:Postpartum Period; D019518:Postprandial Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C478630:RARRES2 protein, human