Resistin in infants of diabetic mothers

Abstract

Objective To determine the effect of maternal diabetes on serum resistin and insulin in term neonates and to correlate their level with neonatal anthropometric measures. Materials and methods Sixty neonates were recruited from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and Ain Shams University Hospital. These neonates were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 20 full-term macrosomic neonates of diabetic mothers. Group 2 included 20 full-term nonmacrosomic neonates of diabetic mothers. Group 3 included 20 healthy full-term nonmacrosomic neonates of nondiabetic mothers serving as a control. For all neonates, complete medical and obstetric history was taken. Thorough clinical examination and anthropometric measurements were carried out. Maternal glycosylated hemoglobin was measured. Cord blood was withdrawn to measure random blood sugar, serum insulin, and serum resistin. Results All skin-fold thicknesses were significantly higher in infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) than control (P<0.001). Serum insulin was significantly higher and serum resistin was significantly lower in IDMs than in the control group (P<0.001 and 0.005, respectively). Serum resistin correlated positively with cord blood glucose in IDMs of both macrosomic (r=0.522, P=0.01) and nonmacrosomic groups (r=0.462, P=0.04). A highly significant positive correlation was found between maternal glycosylated hemoglobin and neonatal birth weight, supine length, and skin-fold thickness in group 1 (macrosomic) IDM. Conclusion It was concluded that IDMs had elevated levels of serum insulin and suppressed levels of serum resistin, suggesting that these hormones are probably operational before birth.