title: Is There Any Relationship between Plasma Pentraxin 3 Levels and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a novel vascular inflammatory marker which increases in vascular events such as diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum PTX3 levels and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective observational study was comprised of 88 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies. The subjects were classified into 3 groups according to their response to a 50-gram glucose challenge test (GCT) and a 100-gram oral glucose tolerance test: control group (n = 28), impaired glucose tolerance group (n = 30), and GDM group (n = 30). Serum PTX3 levels were measured to examine the relationship between GDM and GCT values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in PTX3 levels were observed among the 3 groups in the sample (F = 7.598; p = 0.001). The mean PTX3 value was found to be significantly higher in the GDM group (3.17 ± 1.16 ng/ml) than in the control group (2.20 ± 0.83 ng/ml; p = 0.001). A significant positive correlation between PTX3 and GCT values was detected (r = 0.289; p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal serum PTX3 levels were found to be significantly related to high blood glucose levels. This may be an indicator of vascular pathology in GDM around the time of an oral glucose tolerance test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melahat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Serap Aynur
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Simavli
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uysal Derbent
authors.forename: Ikbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaygusuz
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uysal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins