title: Getting too sweet: galectin-1 dysregulation in gestational diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Galectin-1 (gal-1) is a prototype carbohydrate-binding protein, whose dysregulation is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spontaneous abortion and pre-eclampsia. Furthermore, it is known that faulty gal-1 protein production or gene regulation can be caused by single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the LGALS1 gene. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is also an adverse pregnancy outcome and the most common metabolic disorder during gestation. However, gal-1 expression patterns during GDM remain largely unknown. Our aims were to define local and peripheral gal-1 expression patterns during pregnancy, and to investigate LGALS1 gene polymorphisms in GDM patients. Circulating gal-1 levels were determined by ELISA in GDM patients and normal pregnant controls, and LGALS1 gene polymorphisms were assessed for association with GDM. Placental tissues were collected from control and GDM term pregnancies to evaluate local gal-1 expression by immunofluorescence. Our results show that GDM is associated with a failure to increase circulating gal-1 levels during the second and third trimester, as well as overexpression of gal-1 in placental tissue. Additionally, the LGALS1 polymorphism rs4820294 was associated with the development of GDM. In pregnancies complicated by GDM, we observed gal-1 dysregulation both locally in the placenta and peripherally in the circulation. Furthermore, the association between the LGALS1 polymorphism and GDM may indicate a genetic contribution to this adverse pregnancy outcome.
authors.affiliation: Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Reproductive Medicine Research Group, Medicine University Berlin, Berlin, Germany sandra.blois@charite.de daher@unifesp.br.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Blois
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Placenta-Labor, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Barbara Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Gueuvoghlanian-Silva
authors.affiliation: Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Reproductive Medicine Research Group, Medicine University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tirado-González
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Torloni
authors.affiliation: Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Reproductive Medicine Research Group, Medicine University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosiane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mattar
authors.affiliation: Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Reproductive Medicine Research Group, Medicine University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Innenstadt, Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Unverdorben
authors.affiliation: Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Reproductive Medicine Research Group, Medicine University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barrientos
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Innenstadt, Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knabl
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toldi
authors.affiliation: First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molvarec
authors.affiliation: Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Reproductive Medicine Research Group, Medicine University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Placenta-Labor, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Udo R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Markert
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Innenstadt, Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daher
mesh_terms: D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D037483:Galectin 1
keywords: galectin-1; gestational diabetes; glucose