Investigation of serum Metrnl levels in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective non-interventional cohort study.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate serum Metrnl levels in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and compare them with pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The gestational diabetes mellitus group consisted of 87 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus, and the control group consisted of 93 healthy pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus. Serum Metrnl levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

Results: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic features. The median serum Metrnl level was found to be 1.16 ng/mL in the gestational diabetes mellitus group, while it was determined as 2.2 ng/mL in the control group (p=0.001). The two groups were divided into two subgroups based on participants' body mass index, normal weight and overweight. The lowest median Metrnl level was detected in the normal weight gestational diabetes mellitus group, followed by the overweight gestational diabetes mellitus group, normal weight control group, and overweight control group (1.1, 1.2, 2, and 2.4 ng/mL, respectively). Receiver operating curve analysis was performed to determine the value of the serum Metrnl level in terms of predicting gestational diabetes mellitus. The area under the curve analysis of serum Metrnl for gestational diabetes mellitus estimation was 0.768 (p=0.000, 95%CI 0.698-0.839). The optimal cutoff value for serum Metrnl level was determined as 1.53 ng/mL with 69% sensitivity and 70% specificity.

Conclusion: Serum Metrnl levels in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus were found to be significantly lower than in pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus. The mechanisms underlying the decrease in serum Metrnl levels in gestational diabetes mellitus remain unclear for now, and future studies will reveal the role of Metrnl in the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus.