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Changes in insulin and leptin across pregnancy in women with diet‐treated gestational diabetes mellitus
Author(s) -
Belzer Lisa,
Tepper Beverly,
Ranzini Angela,
Smulian John
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a695-d
Subject(s) - gestational diabetes , medicine , gestation , leptin , insulin , endocrinology , pregnancy , diabetes mellitus , insulin resistance , obesity , biology , genetics
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is glucose intolerance first diagnosed during pregnancy and increases the future risk of developing Type II diabetes. Leptin is elevated in normal pregnancy and may be further elevated in GDM. However, the time course of leptin change in pregnancy as well as its relation to insulin has been poorly documented in GDM. Women with mild GDM, solely treated by diet, were monitored over 4 time points during and after gestation. At 34–38 wk gestation, energy (en) intake, and %‐en as carbohydrate and total sugar were lower in women with GDM (n=15) than in pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n=68) (p<0.05). Plasma glucose was clinically normal in GDM women, both fasting and 1‐hr after 50‐g of oral glucose at this time. At 16–20 wk gestation, fasting plasma leptin and insulin did not differ between groups. By 24–28 wk gestation, these values rose in both groups, but they rose more sharply in women with GDM, such that leptin was higher (p<0.05) and insulin was marginally higher (p<0.055) in the GDM group than the NGT group. By 34–38 wk gestation there were no differences between groups. Leptin and insulin fell to normal values after delivery. These data show that leptin and insulin are abnormally elevated early in GDM but stabilize later in pregnancy with good diabetic control. This is the first study to document these changes in women with GDM treated by diet alone. Supported by NIH DC04702.