title: Serum levels of endothelial glycocalyx constituents in women at 20 weeks' gestation who later develop gestational diabetes mellitus compared to matched controls: a pilot study.
abstract: The aim of this pilot study was to determine the serum concentration of heparan sulfate, hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfate and syndecan-1 and if these serum concentrations can be used to identify women at 20 weeks' gestation who later develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
  
  
  
  Nested case-control study from Auckland, New Zealand participants in the prospective cohort Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints study.
  
  
  
  Auckland, New Zealand.
  
  
  
  20 pregnant women (70% European, 15% Indian, 10% Asian, 5% Pacific Islander) at 20 weeks' gestation without any hypertensive complications who developed GDM by existing New Zealand criteria defined as a fasting glucose ≥5.5 mmol/L and/or 2 hours ≥9.0 mmol/L after a 75 g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. Women not meeting these criteria were excluded from this study. The patients with GDM were matched with 20 women who had uncomplicated pregnancies and negative screening for GDM and matched for ethnicity, maternal age and BMI.
  
  
  
  The primary measures were the serum concentrations of syndecan-1, heparan sulfate, hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate determined by quantitative ELISA. There were no secondary outcome measures.
  
  
  
  Binary logistic regression was performed to determine if serum concentrations of endothelial glycocalyx layer constituents in women at 20 weeks' gestation would be useful in predicting the subsequent diagnosis of GDM. The model was not statistically significant χ2=12.5, df=8, p=0.13, which indicates that the model was unable to distinguish between pregnant women at 20 weeks' gestation who later developed GDM and those who did not.
  
  
  
  Serum concentrations of syndecan-1, heparan sulfate, hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate in pregnant women at 20 weeks' gestation were not associated with later development of GDM. To further explore whether there is any relationship between endothelial glycocalyx constituents and GDM, the next step is to evaluate serum concentrations at the time diagnosis of GDM.
authors.affiliation: Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.|Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David S
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3829-1205
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Weilin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rennae S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lesley M E
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: McCowan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000097:blood*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004727:Endothelium / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D019276:Glycocalyx / Q000737:chemistry*; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D009520:New Zealand; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D053668:Syndecan-1
keywords: endothelium; gestational diabetes mellitus; glycocalyx; glycosaminoglycans