Serum FGF-1 elevated in gestational diabetes mellitus

Serum concentrations of fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) are elevated in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a recent study has found.

The study included 120 women, of whom 58 had normal glucose tolerance and 62 had GDM, as determined by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Fasting serum levels of FGF-21 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The GDM subgroup showed an average FGF-21 serum concentration of 192.07 pg/mL, which was significantly higher than the 117.33-pg/mL average in counterparts with normal glucose tolerance (p=0.039).

Multiple linear regression analysis showed that body mass index before pregnancy was significantly and inversely correlated with FGF-21 levels (β, –0.724, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], –63.317 to –3.754; p=0.028). The same was true for adiponectin levels (β, –0.551, 95 percent CI, –5.229 to –1.990).

Meanwhile, positive indicators of FGF-21 included weight gain during pregnancy (β, 0.372, 95 percent CI, 2.635–25.010; p=0.017), leptin levels (β, 0.783, 95 percent CI, 7.537–16.193; p=0.000), and retinol binding protein 4 concentrations (β, 0.335, 95 percent CI, 1.126–2.693; p=0.019).

“FGF-21 is involved in a wide range of physiological processes, such as improving insulin resistance and regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, which might be related to the occurrence of GDM,” the researchers said.

“The relationship between FGF-21 and GDM, and its specific mechanism of action in GDM patients needs to be further verified by expanding the sample size … in the future,” they added.