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Gestational diabetes is associated with depressed adiponectin levels.

Thyfault JP, Hedberg EM, Anchan RM, Thorne OP, Isler CM, Newton ER, Dohm GL, deVente JE

Department of Physiology, East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Adiponectin is a 29-kd adipocyte-secreted protein that has been linked to insulin resistance in obesity and diabetes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate adiponectin levels in the insulin-resistant state of diabetes in gestation. METHODS: Term, gravid subjects with diabetes (n = 31; age, 30.0 +/- 0.9 years; weight, 98.8 +/- 4.6 kg) and healthy, term, gravid subjects (n = 27; age, 26.1 +/- 1.1 years; weight, 91.2 +/- 3.78 kg) were examined. The diabetes group consisted of 11 class A1, 11 class A2, and nine class B subjects. Plasma insulin, glucose, adiponectin, and leptin were measured on samples obtained immediately before Cesarean or vaginal delivery. Data were presented as means +/- SE, and significance is set at P < or = .05. RESULTS: We observed decreased adiponectin levels in class A2 (4.93 +/- 0.58 microg/mL; P = .013) and class B diabetics (3.33 +/- 0.56 microg/mL; P = .001) as compared to controls (8.17 +/- 0.82 microg/mL), while a nonsignificant decrease was also observed in class A1 (6.58 +/- 1.13 microg/mL; P = .213). When grouping all gravid subjects, we observed that non-Caucasian subjects (n = 42) (5.51 +/- 0.51 microg/mL; P = .003) had lower adiponectin levels than Caucasian subjects (n = 16) (8.88 +/- 1.11 microg/mL). Within the non-Caucasian group, we found significantly lower adiponectin levels in diabetic gravid subjects (class A2: 4.24 +/- 0.75 microg/mL; P = .044; and class B: 3.33 +/- 0.56 microg/mL; P = .005) compared with nondiabetic gravid subjects (7.05 +/- 0.80 microg/mL). CONCLUSION: Class A2 and B gestational diabetes are associated with suppressed levels of adiponectin, similar to that found in other insulin-resistant states (type II diabetes and obesity).

Published 4 January 2005 in J Soc Gynecol Investig, 12(1): 41-5.
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