First and third trimester serum concentrations of adropin and copeptin in gestational diabetes mellitus and normal pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic disease diagnosed in 1.7% up to 11.6% pregnancies. The prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcome is significantly higher in the case of early onset of diabetes mellitus. Adropin is a hormone promoting carbohydrate oxidation over fat oxidation, and influence nitric oxide synthase. Copeptin is a cleavage product of the vasopressin precursor recently correlated with diabetes mellitus. The aim of the study was to determine maternal serum adropin and copeptin concentrations in women with early and late manifestation of GDM and to discuss their potential role as biochemical markers of insulin resistance.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Case-control study on 58 pregnant Caucasian women. Serum levels of adropin and copeptin were assessed in patients with early onset (GDM1) and classical gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM2). Complications such as macrosomia and hypotrophy were evaluated.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the study and the control group (age, BMI, parity). Fetal growth disturbance rate was 37.5% in GDM1, 11% in GDM2 and 6% in controls. Adropin concentration in GDM patients was significantly higher than in control group (p < 0.001), but there was no difference between GDM1 and GDM2 group. High serum concentration of adropin positively correlated with elevated HbA1c (p < 0.05). The groups did not differ in terms of copeptin serum concentration.

CONCLUSIONS: High adropin serum concentration in GDM patients is associated with increased risk of fetal growth disturbances, possibly due to improper placentation. According to our prospective study, neither copeptin nor adropin serum concentration are useful to discriminate between early and late onset of gestational diabetes mellitus.