title: Glycation of fetal hemoglobin reflects hyperglycemia exposure in utero.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The lifetime risk of metabolic diseases in offspring of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) depends, at least in part, on the impact of glycemic fetal programming. To quantify this impact, we have developed and validated a unique mass spectrometry method to measure the percentage of glycated hemoglobin in cord blood.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study includes 37 GDM women and 30 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glycation of the α-chain (Glα) was higher in neonates from GDM (2.32 vs. 2.20%, P < 0.01). Glα strongly correlated with maternal A1C measured at delivery in the overall cohort (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001) as well as in each group (GDM: r = 0.66, P < 0.0001; NGT: r = 0.50, P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, Glα may reflect hyperglycemic exposure during the last weeks of fetal development. Future studies will confirm Glα is a predictive biomarker of prenatally programmed lifetime metabolic health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Felix O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Endocrine Division, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Marie-France
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hivert
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Endocrine Division, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Department of Biochemistry, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada ECOGENE-21 and Lipid Clinic, Chicoutimi Hospital, Saguenay, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robitaille
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Department of Gynaecology-Obstetrics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Department of Pediatrics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auray-Blais
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada Endocrine Division, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada jean-luc.ardilouze@usherbrooke.ca.
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ardilouze
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D047109:Fetal Development; D005319:Fetal Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005319:Fetal Hemoglobin; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin