Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 is a hormone which plays an important role in metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia. In this study; we aimed to investigate the serum total and bioactive FGF21 levels in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and compared with healthy pregnant controls.

Material and Methods: A two-step screening method and Carpenter and Coustan criteria were used in the diagnosis of GDM. Forty patients with GDM and 39 healthy pregnant controls were included in the study. Serum samples of patients and controls were taken in the morning following 8–10 hours fasting period between 24^th−28^th gestational weeks to measure serum biochemical variables and FGF21 levels. Total and bioactive FGF21 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: The mean age and body mass index were higher in patients with GDM compared with healthy pregnant controls (33.1±5.0 vs 28.4±6.2 years, P<0.001 and 30.4±5.2 vs 24.8±2.8 kg/m², P<0.001; respectively). Serum glucose levels were also higher in patients with GDM (97.0±18.3 vs 87.0±10.8 mg/dl, P=0.012) while serum insulin levels of the two groups were not statistically different (13.8±7.6 vs 12.9±4.1 mU/l, P=0.65). When the patients with GDM were compared with healthy pregnant controls, there was no statistically significant difference in serum total and bioactive FGF21 levels between the two groups (197.8±107.5 vs 222.4±108.9 pg/ml, P=0.054 and 148.3±80 vs 165.3±81.2 pg/ml, P=0.067; respectively). Serum total and bioactive FGF21 levels were positively correlated with serum insulin levels (P=0.007, r=0.300 and P=0.007, r=0.301) while negatively correlated with the age (P=0.037, r=−0.235 and P=0.044, r=−0.228).

Conclusions: We found that serum total and bioactive FGF21 levels were similar in patients with GDM and healthy pregnant controls and positively correlated with serum insulin levels. These results suggest that serum total and bioactive FGF21 levels were associated with serum insulin levels rather than the presence of GDM.