Relationship maternal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness and development of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective: We investigated whether the ultrasonographic measurement of maternal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) thickness in the second trimester played a role in predicting gestational diabetes.

Materials and methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which 223 women were classified as healthy ( n  = 177) or as gestational diabetes ( n  = 46) on the basis of a negative or positive two-step oral Glucose Challenge Test (GCT), respectively. The depth of the abdominal SAT was evaluated by two-dimensional ultrasonography. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist/hip ratio were determined.

Results: There was a positive strong significant correlation between a 50-g GCT level and BMI, WC, and SAT thickness ( p  < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed SAT thickness above 16.75 mm predicted gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with a sensitivity of 71.7%, a specificity of 57.1%, a positive predictive value of 32.3%, and a negative predictive value of 87.6%. There was a good correlation between SAT, BMI, and WC.

Conclusion: Increased SAT, BMI, and WC measurements may be helpful in predicting the risk of the development of GDM in pregnant women.