Low Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) in Immediate Postpartum Mexican Women With Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes (GD) is a multifactorial disease involving hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory factors, among which cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) play key roles in immune regulation and tissue repair during pregnancy and postpartum. The aim of this study was to compare serum IL-6, IL-18, and MCP-1 concentrations in postpartum women with and without GD and to analyze sociodemographic characteristics and pregnancy-related complications. A descriptive, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on 32 postpartum women (16 GD and 16 controls). Sociodemographic, clinical, and biochemical data were collected. Serum cytokine levels were measured using the bead-based LEGENDplex™ assay (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA). Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism v9.0 (Dotmatics, Boston, MA, USA) with significance at p < 0.05. Women with gestational diabetes showed significant differences in sociodemographic factors, including higher rates of smoking (5, 31.2%) and alcohol consumption (4, 25%). Pregnancy complications such as hypertension (2, 12.5%), premature rupture of membranes (2, 12.5%), and macrosomia (5, 31.2%) were more common in the gestational diabetes group. Serum IL-6 and MCP-1 levels were significantly reduced in the gestational diabetes group compared with the control group, while IL-18 levels were not significantly different. Postpartum women with gestational diabetes have a unique inflammatory profile characterized by reduced IL-6 and MCP-1 levels. Furthermore, differences in sociodemographic factors and increased pregnancy-related complications highlight the multifactorial nature of gestational diabetes. These findings emphasize the need for further research to understand its long-term clinical impact.