Cord Blood Fetuin-B, Fetal Growth Factors and Lipids in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE: Fetuin-B is a hepatokine/adipokine implicated in glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. We sought to assess whether cord blood fetuin-B levels are altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the association with fetal growth factors and lipids. STUDY DESIGN, POPULATION, AND OUTCOMES: In a nested case-control study of 153 pairs of neonates of mothers with GDM and euglycemic pregnancies in the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we assessed cord blood fetuin-B in relation to fetal growth factors and lipids [high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterols (TC) and triglycerides (TG)]. RESULTS: Cord blood fetuin-B concentrations were higher in the newborns of GDM vs. euglycemic mothers (mean ± SD 2.35±0.96 vs 2.05±0.73 mg/L, P=0.012), and were positively correlated with LDL (r=0.239, P<0.0001), TC (r=0.230, P=0.0001), insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ [IGF-Ⅰ (r=0.137, P=0.023)] and IGF-Ⅱ (r=0.148, P=0.014) concentrations. Similar associations were observed adjusting for maternal and neonatal characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The study is the first to demonstrate that fetuin-B levels are elevated in fetal life in GDM, and that fetuin-B affects lipid metabolic health during fetal life in humans. The secretion of fetuin-B appears to be related to the secretion of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-Ⅰ and IGF-Ⅱ).