title: Increased expression of immune-related genes in leukocytes of patients with diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
abstract: Compelling evidence indicates that the immune system is linked to metabolism in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but factors participating in these processes still are awaiting identification. Inducible nitric oxide synthase, encoded by the NOS2 gene, and surfactant protein D, encoded by the SFTPD gene, have been implicated in diabetes. We investigated NOS2 and SFTPD mRNA levels in leukocytes obtained from 125 pregnant women with (n = 87) or without (control group; n = 38) GDM, and, in turn, correlated their expression with clinical parameters of subjects. Leukocytes were isolated from the blood of pregnant women and NOS2 and SFTPD expression in these cells was determined by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Univariate correlation analyses were performed to assess an association between leukocyte NOS2 and SFTPD expression and clinical characteristics of patients. qRT-PCR experiments disclosed significantly increased leukocyte NOS2 and SFTPD mRNA levels in hyperglycemic GDM patients (P < 0.05). In the entire study group, there were significant positive associations of leukocyte NOS2 and SFTPD mRNAs with C-reactive protein. Additionally, transcript level of SFTPD also correlated positively with fasting glycemia and insulin resistance. This study demonstrates that an impaired glucose metabolism in GDM may be predominant predictor of leukocyte NOS2 and SFTPD overexpression in diabetic patients. Furthermore, alterations in the expression of these genes are associated with glucose metabolism dysfunction and/or inflammation during pregnancy. In addition, these findings support the utilization of leukocytes as good experimental model to study a relationship between immune-related genes and metabolic changes in women with GDM, as well as to assess the potential mechanisms underlying these alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Postgraduate Education, Medical University of Lodz, 90-752 Lodz, Poland marzena.wojcik@umed.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wojcik
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Postgraduate Education, Medical University of Lodz, 90-752 Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zieleniak
authors.affiliation: Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases Department, Medical University of Lodz, 92-213 Lodz, Poland Diabetological Medical Center "OmniMed", 93-338 Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zurawska-Klis
authors.affiliation: Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases Department, Medical University of Lodz, 92-213 Lodz, Poland Diabetological Medical Center "OmniMed", 93-338 Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cypryk
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Postgraduate Education, Medical University of Lodz, 90-752 Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Lucyna Alicja
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Wozniak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); NOS2; SFTPD; immune-related genes; leukocytes