Maternal serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 levels in different types of diabetes mellitus

Serum Levels of Adipolin and Adiponectin and Their Correlation with Perinatal Outcomes in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the serum level of adipolin and adiponectin in healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the second trimester, the prepartum period, and in the newborns of these patients. Methods: A total of 55 women diagnosed with GDM and 110 healthy pregnant women were included in this study. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the association of adipolin and adiponectin with anthropometric markers of obesity (body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), tricipital skinfold thickness (TST)), inflammation markers (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein (CRP)), and maternal glucose homeostasis parameters (fasting glucose, insulin, C peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Insulin Resistance-Homeostatic Model Assessment (IR HOMA)). Results: There were no statistical differences between the adipolin value in patients with GDM compared to healthy patients (p = 0.65 at diagnosis and p = 0.50 prepartum) and in newborns from mothers with GDM compared to healthy mothers (p = 0.24). Adipolin levels are significantly higher in patients with GDM who gave birth via cesarean section (p = 0.01). In patients with GDM, the adipolin level correlates positively with HgA1c in the prepartum period. We found a positive correlation between the maternal adipolin values at diagnosis and prepartum and neonatal adipolin (respectively: r = 0.556, p = 0.001; r = 0.332, p = 0.013). Adiponectin levels were significantly lower in patients with GDM at diagnosis and prepartum (p = 0.0009 and p = 0.02), but their levels increased prepartum (5267 ± 2114 ng/mL vs. 6312 ± 3150 ng/mL p = 0.0006). Newborns of mothers with GDM had lower adiponectin levels than newborns of healthy mothers (p < 0.0001). The maternal adiponectin value correlates negatively with maternal BMI, MUAC, and IR HOMA in both groups at diagnosis and prepartum. There were no differences between the groups in terms of cesarean rate (p > 0.99). The relative risk of occurrence of adverse events in patients with GDM compared to healthy ones was 2.15 (95% CI 1.416 to 3.182), and the odds ratio for macrosomia was 4.66 (95% CI 1.591 to 12.69). Conclusions: There was no difference in adipolin levels between mothers with GDM and healthy mothers during the second trimester and the prepartum period. Adipolin is known to enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, but unlike adiponectin, it does not appear to contribute to the development of GDM.

The association between leptin and diabetes: A meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The study object was to determine the relationship between leptin and diabetes.

METHODS

We searched for the literature on the relationship between leptin and diabetes from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. We carried out the meta-analysis by calculating the Std. Mean Difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to study the relationship between leptin and diabetes. We performed the Chi-square-based Q test and I2 statistics to evaluate the potential heterogeneity, and the sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the stability of our results. Moreover, Begg's test was performed to evaluate the publication bias.

RESULTS

There are 10 studies in this study for meta-analysis, which include 1879 patients (diabetic (n = 1024); and nondiabetic patients (n = 855)). The results indicated that the levels of serum leptin were significantly increased in patients with diabetes (SMD = 1.78, 95% CI [0.81, 2.76]), especially those with gestational diabetes mellitus compared with controls (SMD = 3.03, 95% CI [1.21, 4.86]). However, the results showed that there was no difference in serum leptin levels between type 2 diabetes and controls (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI [-1.06, 1.74]).

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis indicated that the levels of serum leptin were significantly elevated in patients with diabetes especially those with gestational diabetes mellitus compared with controls.

Call for a More Specific Diagnosis of Infant of a Diabetic Mother to Optimize Neonatal Care

Hyperglycemia is the diagnostic feature of diabetes mellitus (DM), and during pregnancy, hyperglycemia has numerous serious implications for organogenesis and fetal growth. Each type of DM has different neonatal implications based on pathogenesis, length of disease, and comorbidities. Currently, limited attention is given to the woman's type of DM when evaluating risks for neonates. The diagnosis of infant of a diabetic mother is not sufficient because of the varying pathophysiology of diabetes classifications and associated neonatal outcomes. By expanding the diagnosis to include the woman's classification and glucose control, maternity and neonatal care providers could develop plans of care based on potential neonatal outcomes, including anticipatory guidance for families. In this commentary, we propose a more specific diagnosis, rather than infant of a diabetic mother, to better serve these infants.

Adipokines in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Clinical Data

Adipokines are signaling proteins involved in metabolic, endocrinological, vascular and immunogenic processes. Associations of various adipokines with not only insulin resistance but also with increased insulin sensitivity, increased systolic blood pressure, and atherosclerosis highlight the significance of adipokines in several components of metabolic syndrome and metabolic diseases in general. As pregnancy presents a unique metabolic state, the role of adipokines in pregnancy, and even in various pregnancy complications, appears to be key to elucidating these metabolic processes. Many studies in recent years have attempted to clarify the role of adipokines in pregnancy and gestational pathologies. In this review, we aim to investigate the changes in maternal adipokine levels in physiological gestation, as well as the association of adipokines with pregnancy pathologies, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia (PE). Furthermore, we will analyze the association of adipokines in both maternal serum and cord blood with parameters of intrauterine growth and various pregnancy outcomes.

What's the role of thymus in diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus is considered as an autoimmune inflammatory and age-related disease. As an important immune organ, the thymus is involved in the immune response and inflammatory response process. Therefore, there may be a link between changes in thymus function and diabetes. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that thymus dysfunction due to aging and other reasons leads to changes in the generation of various inflammatory-immune cells and inflammatory cytokines that regulate insulin resistance, and then participates in the development of diabetes and its complications. Therefore, thymus may be a key factor in diabetes and complications, and it may be a promising therapeutic strategy to improve the thymus function for patients with diabetes. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss recent advances in the influence of thymus function on diabetes, especially its potential mechanisms.

Effects of Probiotic Supplementation during Pregnancy on the Future Maternal Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Probiotics are live microorganisms that induce health benefits in the host. Taking probiotics is generally safe and well tolerated by pregnant women and their children. Consumption of probiotics can result in both prophylactic and therapeutic effects. In healthy adult humans, the gut microbiome is stable at the level of the dominant taxa: Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and has a higher presence of Verrucomicrobia. During pregnancy, an increase in the number of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla and a decrease in the beneficial species Roseburia intestinalis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii are observed. Pregnancy is a "window" to the mother's future health. The aim of this paper is to review studies assessing the potentially beneficial effects of probiotics in preventing the development of diseases that appear during pregnancy, which are currently considered as risk factors for the development of metabolic syndrome, and consequently, reducing the risk of developing maternal metabolic syndrome in the future. The use of probiotics in gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia and excessive gestational weight gain is reviewed. Probiotics are a relatively new intervention that can prevent the development of these disorders during pregnancy, and thus, would reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome resulting from these disorders in the mother's future.

Chemokines in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Background

Studies investigating chemokines in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have yielded mixed results. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore whether concentrations of chemokines in patients with GDM differed from that of the controls.

Methods

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically searched Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases for articles, published in any language, on chemokines and GDM through August 1st, 2021. The difference in concentrations of chemokines between patients with GDM and controls was determined by a standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), calculated in the meta-analysis of the eligible studies using a random-effects model with restricted maximum-likelihood estimator.

Results

Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. Altogether, they included nine different chemokines comparisons involving 5,158 participants (1,934 GDM patients and 3,224 controls). Results showed a significant increase of these chemokines (CCL2, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL9, and CXCL12) in the GDM patients compared with the controls. However, there was a significant decrease of the chemokines, CCL4, CCL11 and CXCL10, in the GDM patients compared with the controls. Moreover, subgroup analysis revealed a potential role of chemokines as biomarkers in relation to laboratory detection (different sample type and assay methods) and clinical characteristics of GDM patients (ethnicity and body mass index).

Conclusion

GDM is associated with several chemokines (CCL2, CCL4, CCL11, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12). Therefore, consideration of these chemokines as potential targets or biomarkers in the pathophysiology of GDM development is necessary. Notably, the information of subgroup analysis underscores the importance of exploring putative mechanisms underlying this association, in order to develop new individualized clinical and therapeutic strategies.

Angiogenic Imbalance and Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Prediction of Hypertension as Well as Obstetric and Perinatal Complications in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). We aimed to analyze the altered inflammatory markers and angiogenic factors among women with GDM to identify pregnant women at higher risk of developing HDP. Methods: This was a prospective study of 149 women without hypertension diagnosed in the third trimester with GDM. Inflammatory markers and angiogenic factors were measured at 28−32 weeks of pregnancy. Obstetric and perinatal outcomes were evaluated. Results: More than eight percent of the women developed HDP. Higher levels of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor (sFlt-1/PIGF) ratio (4.9 ± 2.6 versus 2.3 ± 1.3, respectively; p < 0.001) and leptin (10.9 ± 0.8 versus 10.08 ± 1.1, respectively; p = 0.038), as well as lower levels of adiponectin (10.5 ± 1.3 versus 12.9 ± 2.7, respectively; p = 0.031), were seen in women who developed HDP versus normotensive women with GDM. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that adiponectin had a protective effect with 0.45-fold odds (0.23−0.83; p = 0.012), and that the sFlt-1/PIGF ratio was associated with 2.70-fold odds of developing HDP (CI 95%: 1.24−5.86; p = 0.012). Conclusion: An increase in angiogenic imbalance in the sFlt-1/PIGF ratio in women with GDM was detected and may be an indicator of developing HDP in addition to any subsequent obstetric and perinatal complications.

A Review of the Associations Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Possible Mechanisms of Disease

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) usually leads to the occurrence of diabetes. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common gestational complication associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Increasing studies suggest that women with OSA during pregnancy may be at a significantly greater risk of developing GDM. It is crucial to explore the association between OSA and GDM and the mechanisms underlying this association. In this review, we presented a comprehensive literature review of the following: the association between OSA and GDM, the possible mechanisms of this association, and the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on OSA with GDM. The results showed that most authors suggested that there was an association between OSA and GDM. The intermittent hypoxemia (IH) and reduction of slow-wave sleep (SWS) may be the key to this association. IH induces the products of oxidative stress and inflammation as well as dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, which lead to diabetes. In addition, SWS reduction in OSA enhances the inflammation by increasing the inflammatory cytokines, increases the sympathetic activation, and causes changes in leptin level, which result in the development of GDM. Additionally, whether CPAP is beneficial to GDM remains still unclear.

Placental expression of glucose transporters GLUT-1, GLUT-3, GLUT-8 and GLUT-12 in pregnancies complicated by gestational and type 1 diabetes mellitus

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the placental expression of glucose transporters GLUT-1, GLUT-3, GLUT-8 and GLUT-12 in term pregnancies complicated by well-controlled gestational (GDM) and type 1 pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 103 placental samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with GDM (n = 60), PGDM (n = 20) and a non-diabetic control group (n = 23). Computer-assisted quantitative morphometry of stained placental sections was performed to determine the expression of selected GLUT proteins.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical techniques used for the identification of GLUT-1, GLUT-3, GLUT-8 and GLUT-12 revealed the presence of all glucose transporters in the placental tissue. Morphometric evaluation performed for the vascular density-matched placental samples demonstrated a significant increase in the expression of GLUT-1 protein in patients with PGDM as compared to GDM and control groups (P < 0.05). With regard to the expression of the other GLUT isoforms, no statistically significant differences were observed between patients from the diabetic and control populations. Positive correlations between fetal birthweight and the expression of GLUT-1 protein in the PGDM group (rho = 0.463, P < 0.05) and GLUT-12 in the control group (rho = 0.481, P < 0.05) were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

In term pregnancies complicated by well-controlled GDM/PGDM, expression of transporters GLUT-3, GLUT-8 and GLUT-12 in the placenta remains unaffected. Increased expression of GLUT-1 among women with type 1 PGDM might contribute to a higher rate of macrosomic fetuses in this population.

Changes in Serum Cytokines Throughout Pregnancy in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

CONTEXT

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with low-grade inflammation and increased incidence of pregnancy complications, but its influence on the maternal immune system in pregnancy is unknown. Longitudinal serum cytokine profiling is a sensitive measure of the complex immunological dynamics of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

This work aimed to determine the immunological dynamics of serum cytokines throughout pregnancy in women with PCOS and compare it to pregnancy in women without PCOS.

METHODS

A post hoc analysis was conducted of longitudinal serum samples from 2 randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter studies of pregnant women with PCOS and 2 studies of pregnant women without PCOS. Pregnant women with PCOS (n = 358) and without PCOS (n = 258, controls) provided 1752 serum samples from 4 time points in pregnancy (weeks 10, 19, 32, and 36). Main outcome measures included maternal serum levels of 22 cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) at 4 time points in pregnancy.

RESULTS

Women with PCOS showed marked immunological changes in serum cytokines throughout pregnancy. Compared to controls, women with PCOS showed higher levels of 17 cytokines and CRP at week 10 of pregnancy and a distinct cytokine development throughout pregnancy. The immunological dynamics in women with PCOS was significantly affected by maternal body mass index, smoking, and fetal sex.

CONCLUSION

Pregnancy in women with PCOS was associated with a strong early mobilization of inflammatory and other serum cytokines persisting throughout pregnancy, indicating a more activated immune status. These findings provide a novel basis for further study of PCOS and pregnancy complications.

Association of circulating inflammatory cells and platelets with gestational diabetes and pregnancy outcomes

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common cause of hyperglycemia during pregnancy, and its prevalence has increased over the past decades. GDM is directly related to the recent obstetric outcomes and long-term maternal and child health, which can be greatly improved by early identification and diagnosis of GDM. However, the prediction of the disease has always been a difficult problem due to the lack of simple and practical serological markers. Despite the controversy, recent studies have identified that circulating inflammatory cells and platelets, routinely included in the obstetric blood tests, are related to the development of GDM and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this review, we summarized the studies in this field based on the recent literature. The inflammatory cell components we included were the total number of white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and platelets, which were routinely examined in the blood tests in pregnancy. The aim of this review is not only to enrich our understanding of the pathogenesis of GDM but also to provide evidence for the value of these novel and practical serological markers in early identification of GDM and the prevention and its adverse outcomes.