Glucose Tolerance in Women 24 h Postpartum Is Related to Blood Pressure, Anthropometric Data, and Adipokine Serum Levels

Abstract

Objectives. To characterize glucose tolerance and adipokine serum levels in a cohort of women shortly after delivery. Study Design. A study population of healthy pregnant women (n = 65) was invited to undergo a standardized oral glucose tolerance test within 24 h after delivery at the University Hospital of Leipzig. As controls, 30 nonpregnant healthy, lean women were studied. Glucose, insulin, proinsulin, c-peptide, leptin, adiponectin, and soluble leptin receptor levels were compared in cases and controls by using the Mann–Whitney U two-sample statistics and correlation according to Spearman. Results. As compared to normal glucose tolerant (NGT) women postpartum, fasting c-peptide levels were significantly higher (NGT mothers = 0.23 nmol/L, controls: 0.49 nmol/L, p < 0.001), whereas proinsulin serum levels were significantly lower in nonpregnant controls (NGT mothers = 1.37 pmol/L, controls = 1.00 pmol/L, p = 0.05). Considering fasting adiponectin values, postpartum adiponectin was significantly decreased compared with controls (NGT mothers = 6.9 μg/L, controls = 8.9 μg/L, p = 0.05). Fasting serum levels of leptin (NGT mothers = 17 ng/mL, controls = 10.6 ng/mL, p < 0.009) and soluble leptin receptor (NGT mothers = 34.4 ng/mL, controls = 17.7 ng/mL, p < 0.001) were increased postpartum. Conclusion. We found significantly lower adiponectin and higher leptin sera levels in women postpartum as compared to nonpregnant women. In addition, adipokine serum levels shortly after delivery were related to parameters of adiposity and glucose tolerance. We hypothesize that women in the post-delivery period exhibit biochemical features resembling metabolic syndrome, impaired glucose tolerance, and derangement of the adipokine system.