Measurement of serum sex hormone-binding globulin as an early marker for gestational diabetes

Abstract

Background It is estimated that 90% of all pregnancies associated with diabetes are due to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). If GDM is not properly treated, there is an increased risk for adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications. Therefore, early diagnosis and accurate screening of GDM are necessary to reduce maternal and fetal morbidity and to help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in the mother and offspring. The diagnosis of GDM appears to unmask women with inadequate β-cell reserves and gives a window of time for any prevention techniques, an idea that has been used in the Diabetes Prevention Program of the National Institutes of Health. Aim The aim of this study was to compare serum levels of serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in pregnant women with GDM with levels in nondiabetic pregnant women as an early marker for GDM. Patients and methods This was a comparative study with a total of 45 participants in their second and third trimester of pregnancy. Group I (pregnant nondiabetic) included 25 women and group II included 20 women (pregnant with GDM). Maternal serum SHBG and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured and compared between the two studied groups. Results SHBG concentrations were lower in the GDM group (SHBG=27.32±14.52) compared with the control group (SHBG=507.61±187.79) (P=0.0001). hs-CRP concentrations were higher in the GDM group (2964.65±315.06) than in the control group (2254.00±585.48), but with low sensitivity of 60.00% and accuracy of 77.78%. Conclusion SHBG is valuable for screening women for GDM risk, and hs-CRP as an inflammatory marker is not a dependable screening test for GDM.