title: Early Pregnancy Maternal Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Risk of Gestational Diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated associations of serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We also examined whether pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity status or leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) modify these associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a nested case-control study (173 GDM cases and 187 controls) among participants of a pregnancy cohort, early pregnancy (16 weeks of gestation, on average) serum HGF was measured using enzyme-linked immunoassay. GDM was diagnosed using American Diabetes Association guidelines. Logistic regression was used to calculate odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Effect modifications by pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity status or LTPA during pregnancy were examined using stratified analyses and interaction terms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, we did not find significant associations of serum HGF with GDM risk (p-value> 0.05). However, compared with women who had low serum HGF concentrations (<2.29 ng/ml), women with high serum HGF concentrations (≥ 2.29 ng/ml) had 3.8-fold (95%CI: 1.30-10.98) and 4.5-fold (95%CI: 1.28-15.80) higher GDM risk among women who were overweight/obese, pre-pregnancy (body mass index≥25 kg/m2), or did not report LTPA, respectively. These associations were not present among women who were not overweight/obese (interaction p=0.05) or reported LTPA (interaction p=0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight/obesity status and LTPA may modify associations of early pregnancy serum HGF with subsequent GDM risk.
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dishi
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hevner
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Neway G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Fida
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Dejene F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Abetew
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Enquobahrie
keywords: Hepatocyte growth factor; gestational diabetes mellitus; obesity; physical activity