Endocrine Abstracts

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the thiol/disulfide balance, used as a marker of oxidative stress, by measuring that exchange using a novel technique.

Material/Methods: Thirty one subjects diagnosed with GDM and 30 healthy pregnant women were included in the study. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis concentrations were measured by a newly developed method in this study. After native thiol, total thiol and disulfide levels were determined; measures such as disulfide/ native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, and native thiol/total thiol were calculated.

Results: Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (P<0.001), 50-g glucose load values (OGTT 50) (P<0.001), parity (0.002) and gravidity (P=0.005) were significantly higher and native thiol (P<0.001) and total thiol levels (P<0.001) were significantly lower in patients with GDM compared to control subjects. We found negative correlations between native and total thiols and FBG and OGTT 50. Parity and gravidity had a significantly negative correlation between the disulfide, the disulfide/native thiol ratio, the disulfide/total thiol ratio, had a positive correlation between the native thiol/total thiol ratio. Low native thiol and total thiol levels in patients with GDM were found to be independent of age, gestational weeks and bmi in multivariate regression analyse.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that oxidative stress is increased in patients with GDM, can play a pathophysiological role in the development of GDM and this increase is not associated age, gestational weeks and bmi. However, studies with larger sample sizes are needed in this area.