S100B Maternal Blood Levels in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Are Birthweight, Gender and Delivery Mode Dependent.

Laura Abella,Diego Gazzolo,Maurizio Cassinari,Roberto Guaschino,Neri Costanza Renata,Stefania Testa,Laura Mazzucco,Francesco Chiarelli,Marika Perrotta,Ester Vitacolonna,Antonio Maconi,Ernesto Abella,Patacchiola Roberta,Giorgia Gasparroni,Ebe D’Adamo,Cristian Zanelli,Maria Chiara Strozzi ,Joan Sánchez-De-Toledo ,O Gómez ,M Pérez‐Cruz

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031028

Abstract

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is one of the main causes of perinatal mortality/morbidity. Today, a parameter offering useful information on fetal central nervous system (CNS) development/damage is eagerly awaited. We investigated the role of brain-protein S100B in the maternal blood of GDM pregnancies by means of a prospective case–control study in 646 pregnancies (GDM: n = 106; controls: n = 530). Maternal blood samples for S100B measurement were collected at four monitoring time-points from 24 weeks of gestation to term. Data was corrected for gender and delivery mode and correlated with gestational age and weight at birth. Results showed higher (p < 0.05) S100B from 24 to 32 weeks and at term in GDM fetuses than controls. Higher (p < 0.05) S100B was observed in GDM male new-borns than in females from 24 to 32 weeks and at term, in GDM cases delivering vaginally than by caesarean section. Finally, S100B positively correlated with gestational age and weight at birth (R = 0.27; R = 0.37, respectively; p < 0.01). The present findings show the usefulness of S100B in CNS to monitor high-risk pregnancies during perinatal standard-of-care procedures. The results suggest that further investigations into its potential role as an early marker of CNS growth/damage in GDM population are needed.

Highlights

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the perinatal complication showing the greatest increase, occurring in up to 15% of healthy pregnancies [1]
Informed consent was obtained from all women before inclusion in the study, and approval was obtained from our Local Human Investigation Committees
When we compared the studied groups, after correction for gender, we found higher (p < 0.05, for all) S100B levels in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) male offspring than in male controls at T1, T2 and T4

Summary

Introduction

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the perinatal complication showing the greatest increase, occurring in up to 15% of healthy pregnancies [1]. GDM still represents one of the main causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity [1,2]. Perinatal multiorgan complications regard fetal-neonatal growth (i.e., macrosomia, growth restriction), respiratory distress syndrome, metabolic and ion disorders, and brain development/damage [2,3,4]. The monitoring of insults and contributing factors in high-risk pregnancies is restricted to: (i) adequate documentation of general-medical and obstetrical factors, Int. J.

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion