Resistin, adiponectin and visfatin; can adipocytokines predict gestational diabetes mellitus and early post partum metabolic syndrome?

Abstract

Background: We investigated the association between three adipocytokines: resistin, adiponectinl, visfatin, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and early postpartum metabolic syndrome.
Methods: In a case-control study, 70 GDM patients and 76 healthy pregnant women were recruited from Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center GDM Clinic, Tehran, Iran. Circulatory resistin, adiponectin and visfatin were measured in week 24-28th of pregnancy. All the participants followed until 6-12 weeks after delivery.
Results: The concentrations of all three adipocytokines were significantly different between GDM patients and healthy pregnant women. Visfatin concentration was higher in GDM patients (10.62±8.12 vs. 4.30±4.00 ng/ml, P< 0.01). Adiponectin concentration was lower in GDM patients (9.07±5.10 vs. 13.45±8.53 μg/ml, P<0.01). Resistin concentration was also lower in GDM patients (5.04±2.03 vs. 10.40±3.63 ng/ml, P<0.01). Postpartum follow-up showed that women developing metabolic syndrome had significantly lower adiponectin and resistin concentrations during pregnancy; however, visfatin concentration measured during pregnancy had no relation with postpartum development of metabolic syndrome. Nonetheless, after adjustment for age and pre-pregnancy BMI, logistic regression analysis did not show independent relation between adiponectin and resistin with development of postpartum metabolic syndrome.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that adipocytokines may associate with GDM and postpartum metabolic syndrome. However, the efficacy of their measurement during pregnancy as a predictor of postpartum metabolic syndrome is controversial.

Keywords: Gestational diabetic mellitus, Adipokines, Visfatin, Resistin, Adiponectin, Metabolic syndrome